Golly gee, you guys. You sure know how to make a gal feel good, sending all those well wishes my way. My body is so much better, and now I'm just working on my spirits...
since my poo-poo iPhoto program has decided to stop working all of a sudden
and I can't import any photos
although it tells me that it just imported all 54 of them (hurray)
but it is a big fat liar
because they are nowhere to be found
except on my camera
where I don't need them anymore
which means my blog posts are all boring
and I have so much fun stuff to blog about
like the two quilts I entered in the State Fair
that OPENS TOMORROW, people
(what if there is a ribbon on either of them?!)
or my two crazy kitties
or the fact that I just stuffed 20 envelopes to mail out my quilt block requests
for the online quilting bee (whew, so much work!)
or the other OLIVE DOLL I made (I know, I can't stop, it's a sickness)
all of which means this normally unusually super-happy gal
is a bit frustrated
and might have contemplated throwing her laptop out the window
but not really
because who has that kind of money
to just replace things like that.
Here's hoping in the next week or so I can get some computer guru to fix this little problemo for me, and I'll be back to posting in no time...
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Who needs the Hollywood Diet?
Want a sure-fire way to lose a few pounds and get a flatter stomach?
Food poisoning.
Good times, people, good times. It hit me yesterday morning and by yesterday evening, I was for sure the Grim Reaper was going to ring the doorbell. I have never EVER felt so sick in my entire life.
Want to double your pleasure?
My husband and I both had it. We were both so unbelievably sick yesterday afternoon that I couldn't tell you what my four-year-old was up to for a few hours in his bedroom and the playroom. All I know is I am one very blessed Mama to have a boy that follows directions, knows how to entertain himself (safely) for a few hours, and is not much of a complainer. Bless his little heart, I would think it would have been pretty scary to see both of your parents looking so poorly, but he is a champ and was brave.
Thankfully my mom came early yesterday evening and took our boy home with her for the night. It made me a little bit sad because he's never spent a night away from both of us, but since I was feeling like crap, I got over it real quick. I honestly didn't know whether or not we were going to make it through the night without calling an ambulance, but here we are today, feeling much better and on the mend. We're both still very weak and exhausted, but thankfully, the worst seems to be over. And we can now eat Saltines!
Oh, the joy.
Food poisoning.
Good times, people, good times. It hit me yesterday morning and by yesterday evening, I was for sure the Grim Reaper was going to ring the doorbell. I have never EVER felt so sick in my entire life.
Want to double your pleasure?
My husband and I both had it. We were both so unbelievably sick yesterday afternoon that I couldn't tell you what my four-year-old was up to for a few hours in his bedroom and the playroom. All I know is I am one very blessed Mama to have a boy that follows directions, knows how to entertain himself (safely) for a few hours, and is not much of a complainer. Bless his little heart, I would think it would have been pretty scary to see both of your parents looking so poorly, but he is a champ and was brave.
Thankfully my mom came early yesterday evening and took our boy home with her for the night. It made me a little bit sad because he's never spent a night away from both of us, but since I was feeling like crap, I got over it real quick. I honestly didn't know whether or not we were going to make it through the night without calling an ambulance, but here we are today, feeling much better and on the mend. We're both still very weak and exhausted, but thankfully, the worst seems to be over. And we can now eat Saltines!
Oh, the joy.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Just what I needed
I have a confession.
I am in a Bible study that I didn't want to be in.
Personally, I just wanted to drop my kid off in the Pre-K choir and go down to the lobby and read a book for an hour every week. That boy loves to sing, I love to read, and there you have it. The perfect little plan.
Um, yeah, I think that would have been frowned upon.
But hey, I'm nothing if not honest.
So, Bible study it was. Me, the Bible, my Bible study guide, and one reluctant heart. Check.
Thank goodness for God.
(Should I put that on a t-shirt?)
He knows what we need when we need it even if we don't think we need it.
Two weeks into this, and my mind is filling up with all sorts of wisdom.
That Beth Moore sure can tell it like it is. She has a knack of knockin' you upside the head without you even knowing she knocked you upside the head and ending up making you love her all the more for knockin' you upside the head!
We are going through this book:
A journey through the Psalms of Ascent -- and let me tell you something, I am loving the Psalms. Beth is teaching little ol' me, the gal with the reluctant heart, to take these Psalms and use them to voice my own petitions and praises to God. What's the most amazing thing to me is that something that was written thousands of years ago is just as applicable to my life today in the 21st century as it was back then. (And to think we think we've come so far, and we're all such smartypants in today's day and age. Ha.) Not that this is anything new to me necessarily -- I'm what you'd call a "cradle roll" baby, raised from diapers to adulthood in the church -- but rediscovering this truth is very refreshing.
Yep. Thank goodness for God. Thank goodness He has some better tricks up his sleeve than my harebrained ideas.
Since this YouTube video embedding was disabled, you'll have to click on the link to watch this short, beautiful video with one of the Psalms we are studying (and memorizing):
Psalm 121
I am in a Bible study that I didn't want to be in.
Personally, I just wanted to drop my kid off in the Pre-K choir and go down to the lobby and read a book for an hour every week. That boy loves to sing, I love to read, and there you have it. The perfect little plan.
Um, yeah, I think that would have been frowned upon.
But hey, I'm nothing if not honest.
So, Bible study it was. Me, the Bible, my Bible study guide, and one reluctant heart. Check.
Thank goodness for God.
(Should I put that on a t-shirt?)
He knows what we need when we need it even if we don't think we need it.
Two weeks into this, and my mind is filling up with all sorts of wisdom.
That Beth Moore sure can tell it like it is. She has a knack of knockin' you upside the head without you even knowing she knocked you upside the head and ending up making you love her all the more for knockin' you upside the head!
We are going through this book:
A journey through the Psalms of Ascent -- and let me tell you something, I am loving the Psalms. Beth is teaching little ol' me, the gal with the reluctant heart, to take these Psalms and use them to voice my own petitions and praises to God. What's the most amazing thing to me is that something that was written thousands of years ago is just as applicable to my life today in the 21st century as it was back then. (And to think we think we've come so far, and we're all such smartypants in today's day and age. Ha.) Not that this is anything new to me necessarily -- I'm what you'd call a "cradle roll" baby, raised from diapers to adulthood in the church -- but rediscovering this truth is very refreshing.
Yep. Thank goodness for God. Thank goodness He has some better tricks up his sleeve than my harebrained ideas.
Since this YouTube video embedding was disabled, you'll have to click on the link to watch this short, beautiful video with one of the Psalms we are studying (and memorizing):
Psalm 121
Friday, September 25, 2009
In my head. In my head. In my head...
I woke up this morning with this song in my head stuck on repeat. Enjoy.
Check out The Bird and the Bee for more quirky, catchy tunes that won't get out of your head.
Check out The Bird and the Bee for more quirky, catchy tunes that won't get out of your head.
Friday, September 18, 2009
And while we're on the subject of random...
My favorite little boy word ever just might be:
MARSHMAMA's. (As in marshmallows.)
I might actually cry real tears the day he says the word correctly.
Speaking of marshmama's, I must wax poetic about my newest guilty pleasure.
Peeps.
Oh yeah, those nasty little sugary marshmama's in unfortunate shapes. As I child, I was not a fan. I found them disgusting, and it did not make my day if and when they showed up in my Easter basket. My family was not a family of Peeps connoisseurs, so the only way they snuck their way into my childhood was via some neighbor or long-lost family member trying to buy my love.
However, those Peeps peeps (get it?) must be marketing geniuses because they hid those gross little things in cute Halloween packaging, shaped like cute little kitties, and changed the flavoring to chocolate mousse.
Chocolate?
Did someone say chocolate?
Chocolate mousse??
Now we're talking. Sad looking little kitties literally the color of poo that taste like chocolate mousse? Yes, please.
But those nasty white ghosts and orange pumpkins?
Blech. You can keep those to yourselves.
However, after peeping around on the website, I might be looking forward to some peppermint star Peeps at Christmas (in hot chocolate, oh yeah), chocolate mousse bears and strawberry creme hearts for Valentine's Day, and some more chocolate mousse bunnies at Easter.
Baby steps, peeps, baby steps. I'm proud to admit I was a good mother by overcoming my disdain for the other Peeps and bought the ghosts for my boy anyway, who gobbled them up like they were manna from heaven. I guess I have a new Peeps enthusiast in the house. But don't look for us to be joining the Fan Club anytime soon (oh yeah, there is one) or making the suggested Peeps arts and crafts and recipes (seriously?). Baby steps.
MARSHMAMA's. (As in marshmallows.)
I might actually cry real tears the day he says the word correctly.
Speaking of marshmama's, I must wax poetic about my newest guilty pleasure.
Peeps.
Oh yeah, those nasty little sugary marshmama's in unfortunate shapes. As I child, I was not a fan. I found them disgusting, and it did not make my day if and when they showed up in my Easter basket. My family was not a family of Peeps connoisseurs, so the only way they snuck their way into my childhood was via some neighbor or long-lost family member trying to buy my love.
However, those Peeps peeps (get it?) must be marketing geniuses because they hid those gross little things in cute Halloween packaging, shaped like cute little kitties, and changed the flavoring to chocolate mousse.
Chocolate?
Did someone say chocolate?
Chocolate mousse??
Now we're talking. Sad looking little kitties literally the color of poo that taste like chocolate mousse? Yes, please.
But those nasty white ghosts and orange pumpkins?
Blech. You can keep those to yourselves.
However, after peeping around on the website, I might be looking forward to some peppermint star Peeps at Christmas (in hot chocolate, oh yeah), chocolate mousse bears and strawberry creme hearts for Valentine's Day, and some more chocolate mousse bunnies at Easter.
Baby steps, peeps, baby steps. I'm proud to admit I was a good mother by overcoming my disdain for the other Peeps and bought the ghosts for my boy anyway, who gobbled them up like they were manna from heaven. I guess I have a new Peeps enthusiast in the house. But don't look for us to be joining the Fan Club anytime soon (oh yeah, there is one) or making the suggested Peeps arts and crafts and recipes (seriously?). Baby steps.
Tagged!
Seven random things about me...
which are not very hard to come up with...
considering I am so...
very...
random...
all. the. time.
Here you go, Emily!
1. I love love love cool, cloudy, rainy days. They don't make me depressed, not in the least. They usually boost my mood.
2. I am almost always the chauffeur in our family. My husband can drive, but his driving makes me really nervous, and since he doesn't enjoy my comments or tendency to backseat-drive when he is behind the wheel, he's learned not to fight that battle. (Oh marriage, the longer we enjoy it, the sooner we learn to pick our battles, thank goodness for that. Myself included.) And I LOVE to drive. I usually have no problem pushing through the 12-hour annual drive to Minnesota. And one of the highlights of my 32 years on this earth was driving that big beast of an RV.
3. I studied German from middle school through college. I didn't pick German -- I was supposed to take Japanese like my older brother did, but the Japanese teacher didn't show, and the school stuck our class with the German teacher for a semester. Being the over-achiever that I was, I stuck with it because I didn't want that semester to go to waste and have to start all over (oh, the drama) with another language. It's not the most beautiful language, but at least a lot of it has stuck with me and my comprehension level is still relatively high. I'm looking forward to testing it out when I visit my in-laws that are relocating to Europe. Other than that, it has come in no use to me whatsoever, especially now that I am the parent of a Hispanic child. Why in the world didn't I study Spanish like everyone else?
4. My hair is not naturally auburn. But it's the color I should have been born with. Trust me. Haha. (Some of you already knew that.)
5. I rinse my dishes completely before I load them in the dishwasher. And it might drive me a teensy bit crazy when people load the dishwasher differently than I do.
6. My brother can ride a unicycle, but after years and years and years of trying, I still can't go more than a couple of pedals before crashing.
7. I can turn a styrofoam cup inside out.
If you just read this without rolling your eyes or falling asleep, consider yourself tagged.
which are not very hard to come up with...
considering I am so...
very...
random...
all. the. time.
Here you go, Emily!
1. I love love love cool, cloudy, rainy days. They don't make me depressed, not in the least. They usually boost my mood.
2. I am almost always the chauffeur in our family. My husband can drive, but his driving makes me really nervous, and since he doesn't enjoy my comments or tendency to backseat-drive when he is behind the wheel, he's learned not to fight that battle. (Oh marriage, the longer we enjoy it, the sooner we learn to pick our battles, thank goodness for that. Myself included.) And I LOVE to drive. I usually have no problem pushing through the 12-hour annual drive to Minnesota. And one of the highlights of my 32 years on this earth was driving that big beast of an RV.
3. I studied German from middle school through college. I didn't pick German -- I was supposed to take Japanese like my older brother did, but the Japanese teacher didn't show, and the school stuck our class with the German teacher for a semester. Being the over-achiever that I was, I stuck with it because I didn't want that semester to go to waste and have to start all over (oh, the drama) with another language. It's not the most beautiful language, but at least a lot of it has stuck with me and my comprehension level is still relatively high. I'm looking forward to testing it out when I visit my in-laws that are relocating to Europe. Other than that, it has come in no use to me whatsoever, especially now that I am the parent of a Hispanic child. Why in the world didn't I study Spanish like everyone else?
4. My hair is not naturally auburn. But it's the color I should have been born with. Trust me. Haha. (Some of you already knew that.)
5. I rinse my dishes completely before I load them in the dishwasher. And it might drive me a teensy bit crazy when people load the dishwasher differently than I do.
6. My brother can ride a unicycle, but after years and years and years of trying, I still can't go more than a couple of pedals before crashing.
7. I can turn a styrofoam cup inside out.
If you just read this without rolling your eyes or falling asleep, consider yourself tagged.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Addiction
Shouldn't there been some sort of a support group for sewing junkies?
Hello. My name is Valerie. And I love making Olive dolls.
And all of the other weirdos like me would nod their heads in support, and say, "Hi, Valerie".
Here's our latest cutie. I can't tell you how excited I was to churn this gal out, especially since she would be going to a very special baby girl.
As most of you know, my son is from Guatemala. It seemed like the longest journey to bringing him home, especially since our adoption process hit some nasty snags, and there were so many points throughout that we wondered if he would ever truly be ours. As difficult as our journey was, it was nothing compared to my friend, Stacy's journey. Not even close.
In the adoption process you find a lot of your support comes from people you've never seen or never met and may never meet in person -- people from the Internet also going through the process. Stacy was one of the gals I "met" over the web, and it just so happened that we would be down in Guatemala at the same time. She was in process to adopt an older child, a beautiful little girl. And she was doing it all by herself, as a single mom-to-be. Talk about strong.
That was back in 2006, when we first met. My son came home with us that spring, but Stacy never got to bring her daughter home. She fought that battle bravely for the next few years. That's the part of international adoption that I loathe -- the greed and the corruption that can creep in.
Fast-forward to now, 2009, four years since she started her first adoption process -- and Stacy got word that she gets to travel very soon to pick up her gorgeous baby girl from Ethiopia. (And I do mean GORGEOUS.) I couldn't be happier for her!
Hello. My name is Valerie. And I love making Olive dolls.
And all of the other weirdos like me would nod their heads in support, and say, "Hi, Valerie".
Here's our latest cutie. I can't tell you how excited I was to churn this gal out, especially since she would be going to a very special baby girl.
As most of you know, my son is from Guatemala. It seemed like the longest journey to bringing him home, especially since our adoption process hit some nasty snags, and there were so many points throughout that we wondered if he would ever truly be ours. As difficult as our journey was, it was nothing compared to my friend, Stacy's journey. Not even close.
In the adoption process you find a lot of your support comes from people you've never seen or never met and may never meet in person -- people from the Internet also going through the process. Stacy was one of the gals I "met" over the web, and it just so happened that we would be down in Guatemala at the same time. She was in process to adopt an older child, a beautiful little girl. And she was doing it all by herself, as a single mom-to-be. Talk about strong.
That was back in 2006, when we first met. My son came home with us that spring, but Stacy never got to bring her daughter home. She fought that battle bravely for the next few years. That's the part of international adoption that I loathe -- the greed and the corruption that can creep in.
Fast-forward to now, 2009, four years since she started her first adoption process -- and Stacy got word that she gets to travel very soon to pick up her gorgeous baby girl from Ethiopia. (And I do mean GORGEOUS.) I couldn't be happier for her!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
