Resolutions

I know it's still early and not quite New Year's, but I decided to list my resolutions for the year so I can start practicing now. =)

1) No more yelling.

I starting watching "17 Kids and Counting" and Michelle Duggar doesn't yell.  Her niece Amy even goes so far as to say she's never heard her yell.  Granted, I wouldn't yell with a TV crew around, or even with other family members (maybe).  But I've come to the conclusion I do far too much yelling, and it's rubbing off on my kiddos.  "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." So, in 2011 I am going to consciously work to cut out the yelling and to speak quietly and calmly to my husband and children.

2) Exercise and Eat Healthy

This is important.  Yes, it takes time and dedication.  Yes, I don't feel like I have a lot of energy or time.  But this is something I need to make time for.  I want to be healthy.  I want to instill these habits in my children-that we eat healthy foods and exercise our bodies.  It's not wrong or bad to eat junk once in a while, or to take a vacation.  But overall, our body is a temple, and I want to take care of mine.

3) Spend more time/do more with my children.

It's easier, by far, to just do things myself.  But then my kiddos don't have childhood memories of working side by side with me.  And I want them to have those memories.  So I aim to include them more.  I think they are capable of more than I think, especially if I let my demands and expectations go and just enjoy the time bonding with them.

4) Expand my menu/meal planning.

I tend to serve the same things over and over, which is great if it's something my family loves, but then we also get stuck in a rut.  I want my children to learn to try new foods and I want to learn to make new foods.  I'm actually really excited about this one. BONUS! I can kill two birds with one stone if I'm making something new WITH my kiddos. =)

5) Learn to shop within a budget.

Currently I go to the grocery store, throw in my cart what we need and some things we don't, whip out my debit card and call it good.  Totally mindless spending.  Which is okay; we have the money.  But we aren't really actively working on getting out of debt.  We have paid of most all of our debt, but there is still some left.  And I'm over that.  I want to be debt free entirely (besides our house).  So, starting in January... actually I already started this one.  We are going to set up a budget and I will shop with, *gasp* CASH.  This is a big one for me.  I'll be investing in a calculator, as I have the math skills of a bug.  Meaning, none.  But I'm also really excited to make this work!


So, that's what I'll be working on, really focusing on in the New Year.


What are your resolutions?

Pioneer Woman Give Away

Ok, just to be clear, I'm not giving the actual Pioneer Woman away. SHE's actually doing the giveaway, and I'm sharing the news. Because it ups my chances of winning. Ho ho ho, and a Merry Christmas to all! (but especially to me... if I win) =)

I'm sure you know Ree, the Pioneer Woman. If not, you are seriously missing out. Go check her site out, and make sure you have 894 hours of free time, because that's how long you'll need to read through all her funny posts and drool over all her recipes.

Anyway, I hopped on over there today and it's a Giveaway Day! And this girl doesn't go cheap. She's got a KitchenAide mixer, a nice set of knives, and the pi`ece de r`esistance is this:

It connects straight to the internet and you can print out pictures (or recipes!) straight from the printer.

I want it. So I blogged about it. Doubled my entries, this little post.

But seriously, go read. She is HILARIOUS. Real. And she really does have some amazing recipes. Just beware; her cinnamon roll recipe makes SEVEN pans. I kid you not. Seven. Consider yourself warned.

Names

Ok, sorry for the totally and utterly useless posts lately, but sometimes I've just gotta be silly and nonsensical.

I am obsessed with names. I love them. When I can't sleep at night, I lay awake thinking of names and wondering what they mean, and pairing two names together. I just can't get enough.

So tonight, since my hubby is gone, I was on the computer. Catching up on blogs, surfing the net, etc... Eventually I headed over to a baby name page to type in names and find out their meanings. Meanings of names are very important to me. I don't choose a name based solely on it's meaning, but if it has a weird one, I won't choose the name. Case in point: I love the name Cole. But, it means "cabbage farmer". Um, no thank you. :-P

Anyway, in my searching and reading and perusing I happened upon a "Celebrity Real Names" site. Interesting stuff. For example:

Kim Cattrall of Sex and the City fame's real name is Clare Woodworth.

Akon's (don't know who he is, but apparently he's a singer) real name is, get this:
Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara. I don't know how he got "Akon" out of that, but more power to him. His parents were just downright cruel!

Jason Alexander from Seinfeld is Jay Scott Greenspan.

Brigitte Bardot was originally Camille Javal.

Bo Bice from American Idol was named Harold Elwin Bice, Jr at birth.

Lisa Bonet changed her last name because it was... Boney.

Garth Brooks wouldn't have been so manly if people had called him by his given name of Troyal.

Jackie Chan is also known as Kong-Sang Chan.

Elvis Costello certainly thought highly of himself, naming himself after The King. His parents chose the name Declan Patrick McManus for him.

Dido, the singer (love her music) changed her name because she would've had to spend hours and hours autographing memorabilia for her fans with her original moniker: Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong

Portia De Rossi, of Ally McBeal and Ellen DeGeneres fame? Yeah, her name is really Amanda Lee Rogers! So not as glamorous.

Snoop Dogg is Cordazer Calvin Broadus. Um, yeah. Go Snoopy!

Farrah Fawcett's parents must've liked rhymes... Mary Farrah Lori Fawcett

Jenna Fischer, from The Office? Her name is Regina Marie. Oooh, Michael Scott could've had a field day with that one.

Lady Gaga's real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Whoopi Goldberg wasn't named that on her birth day. Her parents chose Caryn Elaine!

Carey Grant was Archibald Leach.

Macy Gray changed her name from Natalie Renee McIntyre.

The iconic Audrey Hepburn didn't have such a classical name. Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston.

Elton John was called Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

The Judd's have a thing for changing their names. Naomi was Diana Ellen while Wynonna was Christina Claire.

LL Cool J is AKA James Todd Smith.

You know down to earth Ann Landers? Her name is really Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer.

Queen Latifah is Dana Owens.

Spike Lee is really Shelton Jackson Lee.

Bob Marley is Nesta Robert Marley. Can see why he'd want to change it. Don't want to get confused with Nestea.

Peter Marshall definitely had reason to change his name from Pierre La Cock.

Chuck Norris is really Carlos Ray!

Pink is really Alicia Moore.

Ty Pennington is really Tygert Bruton!!

Meg Ryan shortened her name considerably from Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra.

Sting isn't so fierce when called by his given name of Gordon.

Tina Turner was born Anna Mae.

Shania Twain was Eileen Regina.

John Wayne was Marion Michael.

Bruce Willis is really a WALTER!!!!

Tiger Woods wasn't really named Tiger. He was named Eldrick.

That about wraps it up. It is way, way, way past my bedtime, but that was fun, dontcha think?

I promise, more substantial posts will be coming. I just don't know when.

10 Things About My Hygiene ;-)

Today's post is a little... ok, a lot lighter than yesterday. =)

As I was showering today I thought it'd be fun to let you in on all the products I use.  Isn't that just the greatest idea!? :-P

Anyway, here is all the stuff that makes me look and smell the way I do.

1) Herbal Essences shampoo and conditioner

2) Dove Body Wash

3) Mary Kay face wash

4) Arm & Hammer toothpaste

5) Tresemme Curl Control

6) Suave Mousse

7) La Parisienne perfume

8) Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion

9) Gillette Razors

10) Melaleuca Deodorant

Wasn't that just titillating!?  Ha ha, just kidding.  But seriously, now I want to know what products YOU use!!  Isn't this fun?  I can hardly contain my excitement. ;-)

ALTHOUGH.... miss Helene of I'm Living Proof God Has A Sense of Humor did make my day. You know why?  I WON A PURSE from her site!!!!!!!  A really cool purse, too.  I can't even really believe it.  I don't usually win things!  I think this is the 2nd thing I've ever won.  The first was a Progresso Soup pack. :-P

So it's called a Reverse-A-Purse, which basically gives me TWO purses in ONE!  I am so pleasantly surprised.  My only regret is that Helene had to read my sad/upset/confused post yesterday when she told me the news.  I'd rather she read a funny one; this lady is HILARIOUS.  She has two, yes TWO sets of twins.  Check her out.

I'll post a picture of it once I get it. :-D

Now, quickly, leave me a comment with a rundown of your hygiene products!

Out of the mouths of babes...

So yesterday Kate had her activity club with the girls her age from church. They made a special gift for their friends... Jen, Brooklyn will be getting what Kate made. =)

They also made a little picture for Kate that all the girls signed. One of the girls signed it, "If you leave I will put a bomb in your house." Now, that might sound alarming, but if you knew this girl, you'd understand. ;-)

But I've been thinking about it since last night, and really, she sort of hit the nail on the head. It's like a bomb went off. I mean, we were going along, living life, adjusting to life away from family, getting to know a whole new set of friends. And then BOOM! My MIL has brain cancer and we're moving home, but it's not entirely joyful because A) my MIL has brain cancer and B) we were just really getting to know our friends here and C) my husband will be gone 3 days a week for up to a year working in the office here.

Say what!?!?

Bomb. Totally. In my house.

Life is so topsy turvy right now. I feel overwhelming sadness at the friends I'm leaving. But I feel happy that I'll be close to my family. But then I feel hopeless at my MIL's prognosis. I don't know if I'm supposed to pray for a miracle or that she won't suffer. I don't know what God's will is, what His plan is, and what if I pray for the wrong thing? I want my prayers to mean something, to be a help, to be a petition. I just don't know what that looks like right now.

And then I feel what might be called terror at the thought that I'll be a single mom a good portion of the week. Not to mention I'm scared silly at the thought of all the hours my husband will be spending on the road, and how many potential accidents he could get in. How little sleep he gets already, and how he is going to get even less. How his job right now involves a crushing amount of work/time/hours/effort/energy. How he is dealing with the reality that his mom could quite possibly die, and how on earth can I help him, comfort him, strengthen him?

It's all just a tangled web of emotions and feelings.

I don't know if I'm supposed to be happy about moving home, because the reason we're moving is that my precious MIL might not be with us very long, and we want to be near her and allow our children to establish good memories of her. I mean, that's not a glorious reason to be moving home!

It's just a bunch of really intense emotions all at once. I don't know which one is correct. Should I feel happy? Sad? Forlorn? Scared? Relieved? I don't even know what to feel.

I do feel disheveled. :-P

And I do know that I can go to God. Even with this tangled web, even though I don't know how or what I ought to pray for. He loves me. HE LOVES ME. He loves my husband, and He loves my children, and He loves my MIL. So I can cry out to Him and I know that He will answer. I know He has a perfect plan, and I am convinced that He will give everyone grace for the days ahead.

For that, I am utrolig takknemlig. That's "unbelievably thankful" in Norwegian. I am thankful that the burden of this whole situation doesn't rest on my shoulders, and that there is a God who is listening and watching closely over everything.

Sorry for the emotionally charged post. I just had to get it out somewhere, and this is where it landed.

Did you know?

Did you know:

~The Margherita pizza was fashioned after the Italian flag; red tomatoes, green basil and white mozzarella cheese. It was named after Queen Margherita, who requested to eat pizza so she would know what her people ate.

~Female platypuses don't have nipples; milk seeps out of patches of skin on their abdomen and their young lap it up.

~Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing gas in a spacesuit damages it. (Can you imagine the pressure!?!? Pun intended.) :-P

~By raising your legs slowly and laying on your back, you can't sink in quicksand.

~Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

~Bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers were all invented by women.

~A mouse can fit through a hole the size of a ballpoint pen.

~If you drop a tarantula, it will shatter.

~There is no word in the English language that rhymes with "month".

~Most lipstick is made with fish scales.

~Elvis had a black belt in karate.

~The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache on a standard playing card.

~There is one slot machine per eight inhabitants in Vegas.

~The names of Popeye's 4 nephews are Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye and Poopeye

~It's illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb in St. Louis.

~Over 2,500 left handed people are killed each year from using products made for right handed people.

~Porcupines float in water.

~Google is an amazing tool for finding cool, useless facts!

The Proposal

Ha ha, I'm so glad you enjoyed my little tale of how we ended up together, and the part Mamma Mia played in that. =) I kinda like it myself. ;-)

Ok, so here's the deal: In our church we don't just date all loosey goosey. It's something that is taken very seriously and usually it's more of a courtship. Meaning, we don't go out with someone unless they are marriage material and will most likely end in a proposal. It may sound strict and regimented, but it's each person's individual choice how they want to do it. I personally am glad I did it that way, as it saved me from some heartache.

Anywho, so when I got that email from Josh, I knew it was serious. I didn't know at that point that he'd been attracted to me for 3 years, or that he had busted his booty at work and school in order to be able to provide for me one day. He told me all these amazing tidbits later. Like, that's why he worked graveyard full time and went to school full time. And how every time a "Harris" truck would drive by, he would smile because it reminded him of me. (My maiden name was Harris)

And that's why it was so heart wrenching to have to write him back and say "no" the first time. Because he WAS a good guy, but I was just not in a place to even want to be in a relationship, much less a serious one. And quite honestly, saying no was the best thing that could have happened to either of us. It knocked Josh right off his high horse (and oh boy, was he ever on one!) and it gave me time to observe him and see who this guy REALLY was. And see how he reacted to a crushing situation.

Josh admits now that it was good for him, but also that it was one of the hardest things he has been through. He didn't realize how proud he was, how he thought he was a great catch, and how he never even fathomed that I'd tell him no. No, I didn't even want to GET TO KNOW HIM. It was just so brutal for him. But you know what he did? (Well, after crying through a movie and getting drunk, but that's neither here nor there...) He went to God. He went and prayed for grace and help and I could see that. He is a genuine Man of God.

When he was born, he was going to be named Steven, after his dad. But when my father-in-law held him for the first time, that is what came to him. "Joshua, mighty man of God." And thus, they named him Joshua. =)

So anyway, I really got a deep respect and admiration for him and knew that I could safely trust him with my heart.

When I came back and asked if he was still interested, he was quite shocked. I remember that Jen had even asked me if I thought I'd ever change my mind at one point, and I firmly and decisively said NO. Not unless God changed my heart. It was seriously like I had blinders on, and God hadn't taken them away at that point. So for Josh, he thought it was a done deal and he was prepared to be a bachelor for the rest of his life. (Isn't that kind of sweet!?)

So anyway, finally, with the help of Mamma Mia and Delta airlines, white t-shirt, jeans and a construction vest ;-D the blinders came off. *cue Hallelujah music and angels singing*

I was so incredibly nervous before our first date. I was jittery and scared and hyperventilating. I should back up a bit and give you some more background.

My youth time ROCKED. I traveled all over. I went to Paris with my best friend, and we saw the Mona Lisa and the Eiffel Tower. We had a hilarious hotel with an elevator the size of a small closet. Like, so small we couldn't both fit in with our luggage. One of us had to go up, then the other sent the luggage up, and then finally the last person came up. It was so much more hilarious in the moment. I got my head smacked between subway doors. I got my backpack stuck between subway doors. My friend fell down the subway steps and stubbed her toe and we stopped the bleeding with a stray subway ticket. She slipped and fell in a minuscule puddle of water at the movie theater. It was fabulous.

So, I wasn't really in any hurry to get married. Plus, after losing my dad at a young age I had a really, really, really hard time opening my heart up to guys, because I didn't want to be hurt again. I'd lost my dad, and also a very dear friend who took me in under his wing and then was killed in a car crash. And I just couldn't bear to deal with any more grief when it came to me losing the men in my life that I loved the most.

So it was very terrifying for me to open myself up for that kind of relationship.

But I distinctly remember, as soon as I got in his car, he said, "Hi. How are you?" And all my inhibitions and fears dissipated. He was NORMAL. And from that moment on, I knew. I knew I'd marry him. We were together basically 24/7 for those ten days. We took long drives, went for walks along the river, looked out over the city at the lights. We opened our hearts to each other and made sure we had the same views/thoughts on the important stuff. We were. So we both knew that this would end in a proposal.

I'd told him that I wasn't into a big, showy proposal. Like, I didn't want him to get on one knee in front of a whole restaurant full of people and then everyone would be looking at me. No, thanks. So he took that to mean I wanted a low-key one. Very low key. He'd been telling me to "keep Monday open" so I suspected that he was planning to propose that night, as we were going to a romantic restaurant.

But then, before the weekend, we were out shopping together and stopped at Red Robin for lunch. And he got this goofy look on his face and said, "I have an idea!". And I thought he was talking about our plans for that day. But he wasn't. He said, "What if we got engaged sooner rather than later?" And I thought, Yeah, that'd be fun!

And then he said, "Ruth Anne Harris, will you marry me?" Right there in Red Robin. And my head must've spun around and I was super confused and I couldn't figure out if he was serious or not. Because honestly, this guy is a romantic to the core and I sort of was expecting a really romantic proposal. So I said, "Yes, I'll marry you." and then promptly had a panic attack for 45 minutes. Josh was all giddy and told our waitress, who brought us champagne. Yeah, they serve champagne at Red Robin. Who knew?

And he is talking away and I'm sitting silently like a stone. Thinking, "Holy Shnikeys! I've been with this guy ten days and now we're engaged and did he REALLY just ask me to marry him in RED ROBIN!??!?" So after 45 minutes and wasting a perfectly good burger and fries, the shock wore off and the joy set in.

Our plan was to surprise his family at the beach. They take a family trip every year, and they were on the trip at the time. So we hopped in his sweet Jetta (we both miss that car so much!!) and headed out to the coast. We walked in and got several reactions. This was a complete shock to everyone, as no one really had a clue since A) it had only been 10 days and B) I had told Jen I wasn't interested at all, but neglected to tell her I had indeed changed my mind and C) Josh had a conversation with his parents at one point after I'd said no. They had been teasing him about getting married and he got all teary and told them it wasn't funny, as he'd actually just been turned down by a girl.

SO. People were shocked. There was laughter and crying. His dad simply looked at us, shook his head and walked out the door. "Uh oh" I thought. "This can't be good." TURNS OUT that he thought Josh had just moved on to the next poor girl, after having his first choice turn him down. :-D He laughed really hard and was quite relieved to find out *I* was the one who had turned Josh down and his son wasn't a player. ;-)

Our parents were overjoyed. We grew up together and our families knew each other, so it wasn't like we were suddenly engaged to a stranger.

So that's how I got engaged at Red Robin. I can laugh about it now, but it was actually really hard for a long time. Especially after Josh told me all his ideas of how he was going to do it, until I said I didn't want a big proposal. He was going to rent a digital billboard that was on the freeway home and have them write "Ruth Anne, will you marry me? -Josh" so I'd see it. He had some others that were good, too.

And to be fair, he DID do it over. He lit lots of candles, put rose petals out, had romantic music playing, and got down on his knee and asked again. =) I said yes again. =)

It sure makes anniversaries cheap, to be able to eat at Red Robin instead of a fancy, expensive restaurant! :-D Hee hee.

So, there you have it. Our story.

Blog Love

I don't remember how I found Bailey's blog, but somehow I did. And you've got to check it out. I found it right around the time she got married; a few weeks before. Check it out. It's seriously crazy insane and cool. I love her writing style, and the fact that she wants to be best friends with Britney Spears cracks me up.

She has no idea I read her blog, or even who I am, but prepare to be dazzled. This wedding was off the hook. Seriously.

The Rehearsal Dinner

The Welcome Party

Ceremony

From the Guest's Perspective

The Reception

And then... here is where she just bats it so far out of the park that it truly is unbelievable. take a look.

The Rabbit Hole

Can you even believe it!?

Here's the link to her blog; I apologize in advance if you become as addicted as I have.

Peppermint Bliss

How Mamma Mia Helped Me Make One of the Best Decisions Of My Life

Hello All!

Sorry about the delay. I was busy all day yesterday doing... nothing.  I'm not even kidding.  I sat down in the morning to do some email stuff, update my blogs and the next thing I knew it was like 5pm and my house was a wreck and nothing had been packed or cleaned.

So I threw together some crackers, cheese and meats and the whole family ate it while watching a Christmas movie in the living room. :-D  It was super fun, actually.

Today I have been more productive and have cleaned the kitchen, run the dishwasher, picked up the living room and had a visit with a friend.  Man, I'm really going to miss my friends up here when we move back. =(

Anyway, this story is about me.  And Mamma Mia.  And Romeo.   So let's begin, shall we?

Years ago when I was just a wee lass of about 20 or so, I caught the eye of Josh.  I had no idea, though.  I was oblivious.  I was friends with his sisters, but never noticed the skinny-as-a-bean-pole-uber-responsible-boy/man that was Joshua.  He was going to school to get his transfer degree and working a full-time graveyard shift.  He was also in charge of the Children's Activities at church.

As I told him later, I just saw him "stoically marching around conducting his business."  And it was true.  I didn't see anything else in him at all.

Fast forward 3 years.  The boy still likes me.  I am still completely oblivious (even though he *insists* I gave him "signs" that I liked him... like talking to him.)  I am spearheading a trip with 4 other people; we're headed to Norway to work on a huge remodeling project on the main conference center there.  I am totally involved and can't wait to go on my trip. Then, I get an email.

It's from Josh.  I'm at work, and as I read it, I'm whispering, "No, Josh, no.  Don't do this!!"  Because he's basically telling me he likes me and that he just wanted me to know before I leave on my trip.  He's afraid I'm going to get married while I'm working over there. (???)  But the reason I am so torn up is because I know I have to tell him I'm not interested. Like, at all.  And what girl wants to do that!?  So I immediately try to call my best friend.  For like, 45 minutes, I'm redialing but can't get through to her.  And I can't do this on my own!

I finally get through to her and we both agree that the only thing to do is nip this in the bud.  Make it VERY clear I am not interested in a relationship, I am going on my trip and that's that.  Don't wait around, buddy.  Sayonara.  But I don't want to hurt his feelings.  So that night we (my friend and I) write what I *THOUGHT* was a very nice, but very clear email.  Thanks, but no thanks.  Don't take it personally.

I later found out that it basically was a knife in his heart, he went to the movies alone and then got drunk at home for the only time in his life.  **We're still working on our communicating skills** :-D

But then, you know, I started watching him.  Noticing him.  And you know what?  He doesn't stoically march around ALL the time.  He's actually got a very big heart.  He's responsible.  He drives a sweet Jetta.  He dotes on his mom.  And, if you can look past his clogs and hair part, he's actually kinda cute.  So for 3 months I watch him and without even knowing it he starts to make his way into my heart.  I truly respect this man.  He is a true, honest, upstanding, dependable person.

Then he pulls out the big guns.  White t-shirt, jeans, and a neon orange construction vest.  I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.  I took one look at him in that outfit and I *knew*.  My heart changed.  I turned to say something to my friend who was sitting next to me, and she saw my eyes and knew.

But the thing was, I was supposed to be going on this trip for a year.  And I knew it wouldn't be even remotely the same if I was in a relationship, as opposed to going absolutely unattached.  What to do???

Enter MAMMA MIA!!  Annie (that's my friend who was stuck to my hip from age 10-24, and is now my sister-in-law.  Yeah, she married Josh's brother.) and I had tickets to see a production of Mamma Mia. We bought a program and sat down and were chatting.  See?  Here's my program:


 So we're sitting there discussing my dilemma and I'm telling her, "I just wish God would give me a sign!  Should I go to Norway and have this wonderful year long experience, which I had led from the very beginning?  I got all our visa paperwork, drove us to the lawyers to make sure it was correct, corresponded with the leaders in Norway.  Should I do that and finish what I started?

Or should I get to know this guy, whom I've come to deeply admire and respect?  So I was saying, "I wish God would just give me a SIGN!!!!"  And then I see this in my program:

It says, "Get to know me".  And there's a picture of a man with a silly hair part and cloggish shoes.  Now, if that isn't a sign I don't know what is!!!

You should have seen how big my eyes were and Annie and I just burst out laughing.  And then we thoroughly enjoyed every single second of the musical, and it remains one of my most favorite shows ever to this date.  The new one with Meryl Streep is just FABULOUS!!!!

So anyway, we go home and I write an email back to Josh, asking if he's still interested in getting to know me.  He was and ten days later we were engaged.  I kid you not.  Ten days, people.  Not a lot of time to go from unsure, getting your sign in a magazine and then being betrothed to each other.  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. ;-)

It's worked out beautifully for me, though.  I love Josh with all of my heart.  He has been my rock these past 6.5 years and has stood faithfully by my side in sickness and health.  He has stepped up to help me when I couldn't do it myself.  He has supported me, encouraged me, and his love has never wavered, even when I went psychocrazy after having Owen.

I sure lucked out.  He is a gem and I surely don't deserve him.  But I am so incredibly thankful he's mine.  The man is a romantic and not afraid to show it.  He draws me bubble baths with candles.  He brings me flowers.  He makes me Mimosas.  He always says I'm beautiful, even at my heaviest, even when I couldn't manage to shower for days at a time and my hair resembled Einstein's.  Even when he would come home from a long day at work to a house that had deteriorated to a pigsty, and I was crying on the couch and the kids were glassy-eyed from watching tv all day.  He still told me I was beautiful and that he loved me.  And he showed me by his actions that he meant it. And he still does.

So, as you can see, I am eternally indebted to Mamma Mia for helping me make one of the best decisions of my life. :-)

Mamma Mia!

Goodness, it's been far too long since I've posted here!

Life is crazy busy, but I promise I'll be back later (hopefully tonight) with a fun post.

Here's a hint: 

And it plays a key role in the beginning of my relationship with Romeo.

Friday Fess Up

It's FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so glad it's Friday; this week has dragged on and on and on. I'm ready for a weekend with my hubby at home, a dinner date with friends, and a special church celebration on Sunday.

Some (oh my goodness, I am totally losing it! I just typed "Sum"... whooooo boy. This is particularly weird because math has ALWAYS been my absolute worst subject.) Annnnd now I've completely lost my train of thought and can't remember what I was going to say.

Let's just continue on and pretend we didn't see that little bit of dementia, mmmmmkay?

I confess:

I don't sit straight on the chair at the dinner table. I sit at a 90* angle to the table. Yes, sideways. I have no idea why I do this, but I do it every single meal. I put my feet on the foot rest of the chair next to me and turn my torso towards the table. Like this woman, only my torso/head/face/mouth would be facing the table. And Josh almost never faces the opposite way from me when we're sitting together. And he sure as heck doesn't resemble Kevin Bacon. And I may be pale, but my legs don't disappear totally into my shoes like that.

I always use a knife while eating. I can't eat anything without a knife to cut and scoop my food onto my fork. Spent one too many months in Europe, I guess.

I don't drink while eating meals, usually. The only exceptions are if we eat out and the waitperson brings me water or if I have coffee with my breakfast on weekends. Most of the rest of the time I set a cup for myself, but never actually use it. So my glass is neither half full, nor half empty. It's just plain empty.

Due to a severe lack of drinking liquids, I only use the bathroom once or twice a day. Hardly ever more than that. I'd make an effort to down those liquids if I had a plush toilet like this one. I'd go in there just to look at it. Gold and Diamonds, anyone?

I don't know what's more disturbing... the fact that I googled "toilets" or the fact that several wedding dresses came up. Please tell me what this has to do with toilets??? Do you think they are made out of toilet paper?

I do love Mimosas, however. Plus, it's fun to say. Mimosa. Raise your hand if you just whispered "mimosa" out loud at your computer. ;-)

I wear perfume almost every single day. If I forget to put it on, I feel naked; sort of like how some women feel without make-up. I wear YSL's La Parisienne and I just love it. (THANKS, MOM!)

Each week I clip 60 nails besides my own. Grimy fingernails is a pet peeve of mine, and although my children have been known to have dirt under their nails I try to keep it in check. As a side note, may I just advise you never to google "fingernail clippings". Otherwise, you might come upon such frightening items as this... hand-shaped jar to... hold your nail clippings? GAG!!!

I don't understand how anyone who bakes/cooks can have long fingernails. It's just not practical; food gets stuck under them and that's not sanitary. IMO (that's "In My Opinion" for you non-cyberspeakers). How can you even chop with those things!?

If you do choose to have long nails, however, there are certain employment opportunities available just for you. Say, butterfly/nail art hand model:

Whilst searching for and finding all these pictures having to do with fingernails, I was attempting to eat some no-bake cookies I made the other day. They have chocolate, peanut butter, oatmeal and... coconut. And coconut is eerily chewy and I wouldn't recommend eating it while viewing disturbing images of fingernails.

I can wiggle my left ear up and down. But only my left one. And only up and down. Interestingly enough, when I googled "left ear" TONS of images of the *right* ear came up. Huh.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE candy canes. And avocados. But not together.

I don't like ham. I can eat one piece, once a year but that's about it. I gotta admit even this picture made my stomach heave up into my throat. Bleh.

When I was young I got my ears pierced and I remember one specific trip to Disneyland (we lived close at the time) where someone (clearly I'm an ungrateful wretch, cuz I can't remember who) bought me my Favorite. Earrings. Ever. They were dangly! And Donald Duck! Suuuuuch exquisite taste in fine jewelry I have.

I am up for the Worst Mother of the Week award, and I'm pretty sure I'll win by a landslide. I forgot or was otherwise late to get Kate from the bus TWICE this week. Both times the poor dear was pounding on the door, in the pouring rain. The second time a saintly fellow mother named Crystal walked home with her and waited until I got there. HOWEVER, I would like to state for the record, that it is only partially my fault. The bus was 7 minutes early, otherwise I would have been there. The second time. The first time I just plain ol' forgot.
This is pretty much what she looked like. Minus the huge harp.

And, ironically, this is what comes up if you google "orphan on door stoop":

Double Huh. Somebody's taking the Pollyanna spirit to the next level.

I have a weak (or maybe it's super strong?) conscience. One time when I was probably in junior high or maybe early high school a group of friends and I went to the movies. We watched our show and snuck into another one. I felt soooo bad, that afterward I told my friends I was going to the bathroom but I really went back and paid for all of us for the second movie. I'm pretty sure the guy working the cashier thought I was the biggest moron ever.

I've had a pet pig, pet goat, pet turtles and even a pet cow. That we bottle fed. Then hand fed. Then killed and ate. All the meat from him was lovingly labeled "BB". That stood for "Black Bull". We were real creative with names. And I always pretended to be bothered that we were eating him, but in reality he was kinda mean so I didn't mind too much.

Although google was kind enough to also bring this up when I typed in "black bull":

Whoah. That just looks... painful.

Let's move onto something prettier, shall we?
I really love orchids but since I have a black thumb I can not manage to keep them alive. =(

And last, but certainly not least, I am OBSESSED with my sister's blog. I stalk it. Refresh the page multiple times a day waiting for a new post. Which is not a very productive way to spend my time, nor is it fruitful since she has shoddy internet at her apartment. In any case, I read it and enjoy every single word. Go check it out. Aaaaannndddd.... GO! (You can click the link down there and it'll take you straight there! Yippee!)

Joyous In Hope...

P.S. I don't know WHAT is up with the wonky spacing today. In my draft mode it all looks fine and dandy, spaced nice and even, everything just so. But as soon as I hit publish something goes funky and it ends up ugly and misshapen and disfigured... okay, I may be getting a little over-dramatic but it BUGS me!

Courtesy of Kate

I didn't know there'd be another installment of Courtesy of Kate, but lo and behold, there is!  She provides me with more material than I thought. ;-)

This time, I'd like to invite you to the bustling but cozy restaurant they opened.  (Side Note: I can NOT for the LIFE of me EVER spell restaurant the correct way.  NEVER EVER.  I also can never spell deodorant correctly.  OH! I just spelled it right! Without using spell check! Go me!!)

Ahem.  Back to the restaurant.

May I introduce, without further ado... Baze Bee Restaurant AKA Busy Bee.  She came up with the business name all on her own.

Look how happy the customer is! (And don't ask me who, what, where, why or how she decided to begin drawing bazoomas on her girl people.  I honestly don't know. And sometimes she makes them VERY well endowed.)


May I present, The Menu:

 

I'm told this says the following:

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Taco

Meat and Cheese Sandwich

Ice Cream

I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs:

 

Which came with a glass of ice water (garnished with a wedge of lemon!)

Although, I must admit the taco and the meat sandwich (with a side of pickle) also looked delicious.

 

And you can't forget dessert!  Ice cream, YUM.

And here is the chef herself, hard at work.

 

Someone ordered the meat sandwich with a pickle, and it's just waiting to be sent out with the waiter.  

I don't know where she comes up with this stuff!  I was minding my own business, reading The Happiness Project (another post entirely) and then this lovely lady and her handsome waiter brought me this fabulous meal!

Ahhhh, I'm so lucky to have a live-in chef.  Now I just need to work on getting a maid and personal trainer.