Happy Birthday to me!

Today I turn 33.


I am having a bit of an issue with that. ugh


When you are feeling down, it's always a good idea to do something, or buy something to make you feel better.

First, I got these from Kylie (through Justin)...


yeah, I know....he's got good taste :)


They made me feel better but not all the way there, so....
I had to get something else....

I am eyein' up some boots and a purse.

my guilty pleasure

I love love love to watch dancing!

I like to watch the Dancing With the Stars episodes on Hulu; my husband just rolls his eyes :)

But it just fascinates me, maybe because I've seen Patrick Swayze dance and how can you not love watching him dance?!

*be still my beating heart*


If you like to watch dancing too, check out this link...whoever put it together did an awesome job...
Dancing at the Movies

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In the previous post

I had ask if anyone could guess what this was going to be


there were 5 coat rack answers and
1 rocket/painted beam/cat scratching post answer


Sadly, all of you were wrong. The correct answer is:

a purse tree!

my birthday boots

I've finally found my cowboy boots!!

I got 4 compliments on them before I had left the store

I'm thankful for....

• my grandparents and the memories they've given me
• my parents because I'm still their little girl in their eyes
• my siblings who have to love me regardless :)
• my husband who wants to love me regardless of my faults
  
• my children who think that I'm Super Mom
  
• my friends new and old and the sweet friendship they give me
• my mother-in-law who has really become a special friend in the past couple of years
• my father-in-law who runs over here when I need him to fix a light :)
• my brother-in-law who loves my kids endlessly
• my faith
• my husband who just shakes his head when I keep buying shoes and purses

I am...

I'm taking this idea from my friend Martha. She had a list of 10 things on her blog that described who she is. So here is my list of 10.

1. I am one of those people who when they hear a good song, they picture what it would be like to be the singer and jamming out that song in front of a crowd
2. I am also that person who will crank the volume on a good song
3. I am learning to be more willing for what my lot in life is to be
4. I am enjoying all my free time!
5. I am woman, hear me roar!! As in...just because I am female doesn't mean that I am weak and helpless!
6. I am running of out things to write
7. I am not a fan of chocolate
   
8. I am enjoying the sewing I do for myself but don't know if I want to try selling it. It would become a chore instead of a hobby
9. I am glad that I don't have to watch my weight. It stays right where it's suppose to
   
10. I am every day thankful for my husband and children
    

52 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************



We had my sister-in-law Tammie and her 3 kids here for 4 days this week. We ended her time here at the Tommy Bartlett show in Wisconsin Dells.

my sweet sweet nephew Parker.
He was a little hungry and a little tired here but still so stinkin' cute :)

more pictures of our week to come...

50 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************



The kids like to brush out and pretty up my hair. I like it too, but prefer the brushing to the clips. Some day when I'm rich, I plan to hire someone whose only job is the brush my hair every day.

Here's some of their artwork....

Gorgeous ain't I??!! :)

49 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************


I'll be honest with you. I can't wait until I'm done with this challenge. It's getting harder and harder to remember to get in front of the camera.

This week I've been busy with setting up for a garage sale and then doing the garage sale itself but I did squeeze this in under the deadline.


Monday....was a nightmare! I got the hives. Or that's what I self-diagnosed. I itched so bad!
This is just the start. By the end of the day I had them from shoulder to toe. Actually it was to the bottom of my feet.



By bedtime I was ready to cry in frustration because I had tried everything around the house and nothing worked more than 5 minutes. And if you remember, Monday was Memorial Day. So by the time I figured out it was hives, every place in town was closed.

I tried... (over and over all day long)

• shower
  
• Caladryl lotion
• another shower
  
• Anti-itch spray
• swimming in the pool (chlorine)
  
• Aleo plant
• cornstarch
• rubbing alcohol
• baby powder
  
• bath with baking soda
• Aleo gel
• peppermint oil diluted and massaged in
• bath with vinegar
• vinegar
  

NOTHING WORKED!

Thankfully though, by the next morning I was better though I did stop at Walgreens and get some allergy medicine and Calamine Lotion.

48 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************


photos are self explanatory....

46 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************


Here I am. Me and Nolan. We live together in a lighthouse.
Oh, this picture won't do for a picture of me this week? Bummer.


Well, here's this one then.
No, my face isn't dirty. Those are my freckles. There should be a law that once you hit 30 your freckles disappear! I hate them!

45 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************

looking at mom's magazine

43 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************

doing what I love...sewing and listening to a book on tape

another test, another no answer

I had my doctor do a uterus scan today. He was mainly looking to see if my fallopian tubes might be blocked. Nope, all was good, clear. So still no answer on "why". Guess it really was just flukes. Maybe it was too much for my body to handle. 4 miscarriages in 14 months.
What I really had wanted at the beginning was for them to find something wrong. So that I would have an answer. And then I wanted an easy fix. Such as taking a pill every day. Or maybe a shot and then all is cured.
Well, I got neither. There is still no answer to "why". But that really is a good thing.
And so there is no "easy fix".
My doctor told if he had found something wrong today, it would have been very hard to fix.
I had read that 50%-75% of RPL (recurrent pregnancy loss) couples never get an answer. I thought for sure we would not be of that percentage. Well, we are.
I've read of women who have had a kid or two than had a number of miscarriages and then had another kid or two. So, there is still hope!

Life sure doesn't turn out like you planned back when you were young.
But I feel very confident if we were to try again.

with age comes...

I often ask myself this question

"what happened to me?"

and this question

"how did it get to be this way?"


I ran track for 3 years in high school. Didn't do it my senior year because I really didn't like the coach and after 3 years I was sick of her. Plus, isn't your senior year a "slough off" year? Oh, it's not!?!?

Anyway, back to my story...I ran track. So that means..I was in shape. That meant that I could go up and down stairs without huffing and puffing. That meant that I could run around the yard without taking 2 minute breaks every 30 seconds. That meant that I could easily keep up with those younger than me.

So after high school I was still in pretty decent shape.

Then the years went by and the years went by (sounds like a Dr. Seuss story) and before I knew it I was 31...

and out of shape I am! So out of shape that I don't think I'll ever find my way back in to shape. It's like looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and not knowing that the bulb burned out.

Maybe I should say this at this point....I HATE TO EXERCISE!

Last year me and two friends started walking once a week. It is so much more fun walking with friends than by yourself. Before we knew it, we had walked 4 miles. Sure didn't feel like it; even to me who is so out of shape.
I've also taken up walking by myself during the week. When both kids in school in the mornings and only having daycare kids 2 days/week that leaves me 3 mornings to walk. (Doesn't mean I walk all 3 mornings though) I need to get a jogger stroller or something so that I can take my daycare girl with me on the days she's here.
Justin and I have also started running again. Or for me it's a jog. But better than nothing right?!

Since I've hit 30 I've noticed a lot of changes to my body and pretty much all of them are not for the good.

So, even though I hate exercising, I've come to the realization that it is now a necessity, not an option.

Who said getting old was fun? Oh, no one did. Well, I can see why.

42 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************



Last Saturday we went to the wedding reception for my good friend Jillayne and her husband Tim. Isn't she a beautiful bride?



Some pictures of the kids -- Kylie enjoying the chocolate from the chocolate fountain

both kids; dark but still a cute picture

Nolan being silly - like normal


me and my man

spying

do you spy on your neighbors?


oh, me neither.

Okay, okay, I admit it, I do.

But this is why.... last spring and summer.. and fall.. our neighbors dug a hole and put in a little pond.

That's fine. It was a cute pond and looked nice where they put it.

Maybe I should say here that it took them about 2 weekends to dig the hole and get the pond together.

Then the 3rd weekend they ripped it all out and redid it.

Then the next weekend they did something else to it.

Then the next weekend they did something else to it.

Then the next weekend they did something else to it.

Then the next weekend they did something else to it.

No, this is not a broken record. That's the way it seemed like it went the rest of the summer. Finally they seemed to be done with it and left it alone.


Guess that I saw them doing last weekend and this weekend.... that's right. They had drained the pond and were lining it with rocks and then filled it up again and then drained it and starting filling it up again.

We are very confused about what they are doing with their pond but we don't know them well enough to be noisy and ask them.

So I spy on my neighbors mainly to see what else they are doing to their pond.

41 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************

Sampling some Zucchini Bread (w/chocolate chips)

Requested by my son
A big favorite of my children

wearing my favorite new top!

39 of 52

*************52 Weeks*************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!*************************

Kylie thinking: there's mom with that annoying camera again

Kylie thinking: fine, I'll smile. Then she'll leave me alone.

Needless to say..she doesn't love the camera like Nolan does so there's no posing for me.
Yes, I touched up the pictures. Had to give us a tan. :) Looks like my tan faded a bit between pictures.

Do You Cry

when you read a good book?

when you see photos of soldiers?

when you watch a "love" commercial?

when you watch a commercial that has a family in it?

when you read a story about a family's loss?

when you hear about someone's struggle to have children?

when you see photos of children in poor countries?

when you see photos of the result of natural disaster?

when you think about your own struggles?

when you watch a movie that has a sad part in it?

when you watch your child get on the bus for the first time?

when you think of where you would (not) be without your family?


yeah, me too.

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