a day today

any recipies for this?

2009-02-27T13:56:00.003-06:00

Olympia loves to watch anything having to do with babies. Especially babies being born. Understandable since there will be a new baby born at our house. To help feed her interest, I stupidly let her watch a Baby Story on the TV. It was about twins, and silly me thought it would be a c-section delivery. Unfortunately, once I realized that it wasn't, we were too far in. So she watched the whole thing. It wasn't graphic, and the crazy woman did it all natural. TWINS! When it was done, Olympia simply stated, "when I have babies, they are coming out of my tummy, not out of my butt." When I asked why, she said, "it hurts less." I guess I'll buy into that. We have since, stopped watching delivery stories.

We have although, watched a great show on National Geographic Channel, about the development in the womb of cats. It showed the difference of development of house cats verses lions. Very neat. (we skipped over the actual how the babies got in the mom's tummies.) Of course they showed the birth, which Olympia didn't question at all. But since watching this show, several things have happened around our house.
1. She now grooms all of her plastic lions, that she recently gave birth to. Understandable, the mother lion does that.
2. She thinks it's totally normal to have more than 3 babies in your tummy at a time.
3. Possibly the oddest part...she thinks it is normal to eat the placenta once it has come out. She even has gone as far to ask if we are going to bring the placenta home once the baby is born. I don't have a recipe for that. And darn it, Betty Crocker doesn't either. Oh well, guess we will have to leave it for the hospital. Darn!

Two thumbs up!

death row

2009-01-23T09:26:00.003-06:00

Last night I was telling some friends about the book I had just finished (Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult). Olympia was playing on the floor while we were talking. I was talking about the main character who was on death row. I probably said death row 3 times in the conversation when the following conversation happened.
O: "Mom, we saw death row."
Me: "What?!? What are you talking about? Death row?"
O: "Remember we saw death row at the movies."
Me: (panicing) "What movie?"
O: "You know the mouse with the big ears!" (eye roll)
Me: "Oh Despereaux. Yes we say Despereaux at the movies."
O: "I told you we saw it."

We laughed at that for a long time. Thankfully we avoided a conversation I was not really ready to have with her. I think death row might be a 7 or 8 year old conversation.

Two thumbs up!

return from the Christmas abyss

2009-01-04T16:41:00.002-06:00

Hello. My last entry was after the election. If there are any of you still out there reading, welcome back. I barely survived the Christmas season this year. It was a tough one. I haven't done the numbers yet, but it might have been the best one yet. We are now trying to get our house ready to sell and look for a new at the same time. We also will be needing a new car. What is with all of the new stuff you ask? Well, apparently our family will be growing this year. Yes, that's right. Olympia got what she wanted for Christmas. (When asked what she wanted for Christmas, Olympia responded with a baby sister. When told that couldn't happen by Christmas, she would say, a baby brother would work too.)

In July, we will have a new baby brother or sister. We are very excited. (I am very tired.) Olympia makes sure everything I eat is "good for the baby." She is so happy. If you ask her when the baby is coming, she replies, "First is the 4th of July, then my birthday, then the baby comes." (She uses the 4th of July as a reference a lot. Like no more kisses until the 4th of July.)

So, with all of this big news, you might need a moment to collect yourself. I am working out the work details, but will let each of you know the plan for that. I will still be working, just a little less, so schedule early.

Other than that small thing, I can't think of much else to update you on. I will be posting more now that the "season" is over.

Two thumbs up!

Thank you!

2008-11-04T23:38:00.003-06:00

Today is a great day. No matter what side you support, today is a great day. Election day! I love the entire political process. (except the mud-slinging) The hype, the tradition, the grandness. Love it all!

On our walk to vote today, Olympia and I talked about what we were doing. She was not as interested as I hoped, but I really wanted to impress on her the path taken to get there. Women had a long fight to get where we are now. I hope all of my fellow women out there on their way to the polls said a quiet "thank you" to those who did the work before us.

That being said, I try to keep my politics to myself, but tonight, I am excited. I am excited to see the energy that was brought to this country by one man. I look forward to the future.

almost famous

2008-10-23T23:40:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, I took a little trip to Omaha. Hillary Clinton was doing a rally for Barak Obama. I thought this is probably one of my only chances to be so close to seeing her. I went by myself, but quickly made two friends in the audience. (I had to go to the ladies room and they held my spot.) When I returned to my spot in the growing crowd, (5 or so rows deep) we started chatting about the people beginning to filter onto the risers behind the podium. I told my new friends that I was going to ask how you got up there. Wouldn't hurt to ask, right? I finally ran into the guy who gets to decide, he marked my ticket, and was nice enough to let me grab my new friends as well. Once we got to the risers, they said they wanted us to stand in front. We were so excited, we were shaking. Anywho, here is what it looked like:

That's me in the brown sweater just over her shoulder. This cute little lady next to me wearing a hat, kept saying things like "amen, sister" and "un-huh sister" to everything Hillary said. It was so awesome. Afterward, I got to shake Hillary's hand. She really is beautiful up close.

I knew we would make the local news, since no one ever comes to Nebraska, but it must have been a slow day, because we made national news on ABC and Nightline. Of course they were talking about how Nebraska can split its electoral votes. To see the whole story on ABC news, click here. (look for me in the brown sweater.)

Two thumbs way up!

warning: cuteness alert!

2008-10-19T11:21:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Olympia and I went out to Ravenna to photograph a family. We stayed at a friend's farm. Olympia got to go 4-wheeling. It was a blast. One of the boys took me into a shed and showed me this:

Yes. I tried to bring one home, but the hubby said no. We guessed them to be about 2 weeks old. Aren't they the cutest things you ever saw. The mom would lay there and nurse them, but as soon as someone got close, she would stand up and let all the babies fall off so she could try and get you to pet her. It was just great to watch. Being on the farm was a lot of fun. Olympia keeps asking when she gets to go back.

Thumbs up!

frost?

2008-10-13T22:15:00.002-05:00

I would just like to replay the conversation I heard on my tv between the anchor(A) and the weatherman(W).

W: Hope you have the ice scraper in your car for tomorrow morning.

A: What?!?

W: You might need it.

A: GASP!!!!

W: I took her breath away. I haven't done that to a woman in decades.

SERIOUSLY!!!! I don't want to know about your low self esteem. I want to know about the weather. I think someone should call the inappropriate police.

Two thumbs not up!

marriage

2008-10-01T08:55:00.002-05:00

Here's the conversation that just took place at my house as we were getting ready for school.

Me: I need to buy you new pants that actually fit, since you are growing so fast.

O: I am growing up big. Soon I will be a mom.

Me: I suppose so.

O: And then I will be married.

Me: I hope so.

O: When will I get married?

Me: When you find the right guy.

O: One that's someone else isn't using?

Me: (laugh) I hope so.

Isn't a 4 year olds mind great?

round 2

2008-09-27T16:52:00.003-05:00

Here are some more pics of Olympia modeling her urban wear.

quickie...

2008-09-26T22:40:00.002-05:00

Here is one of the images from Olympia's 4 year photo shoot. There will be more when I finally have time to look at them all. They turned out great. Have a great weekend!

nothing....

2008-09-02T15:09:00.002-05:00

I just realized it has been over 3 weeks since my last post. And while it was a long post, I need to update. Here's the real problem. I've got nothing new. NOTHING!!!! So enjoy that thought and come back soon where I will outline some new changes to my life. (very soon.)

were you wondering?

2008-08-05T23:57:00.006-05:00

I read someone else's blog today. Okay, I read a lot of other people's blogs today. But one had a 100 things you didn't know about me. Some of you will know these, but I bet most of you won't. Just for fun and a time waster, here you go:

1. I was born in Colorado

2. My dad is an engineer by trade and photographer by hobby.

3. My dad taught me all I could ever need to know about photographing flowers, trees and nature. (his preference, not mine)

4. My mom once worked for a professional photographer as a retoucher. With real ink and all.

5. I have a brother who lives in St. Louis

6. I have lived in 6 different states.

7. This year, I will have lived in the same house the longest in one place in my life.

8. When I was a kid, my favorite toys were Barbies.

9. I often gave Barbie a makeover with fingernail polish.

10. I had rediculously big bangs in middle school.

11. We had a parakeet named Captain.

12. My brother and I wanted to name him Hot Lips.

13. We had a dog for a while named Oppenheimer. (the guy who invented the atomic bomb.)

14. My brother named the dog that.

15. My first true love was Neil Patrick Harris as Doogie Houser, MD.

16. I secretly wished the New Kids on the Block would move into the next door house when it was for sale.

17. I love to look at photographs of everything from the past.

18. My maternal grandfather loved to conduct orchestras from his living room chair.

19. He also had several college degrees.

20. Olympia's middle name is after him.

21. And a photographer.

22. My maternal grandparents always took us to museums and historical places.

23. We took them to see a Frank Lloyd Wright house, which I can remember most of the layout. I still love anything by him and the arts and crafts era.

24. My paternal grandpa took me to the gas station everyday to get candy when we visited.

25. I LOVE Wheel of Fortune!!!!!!

26. I can repeat the entire theme song to WoF.

27. My brother and I watched a lot of game shows at my grandparents house.

28. I wore lime green bell bottoms to my high school graduation. (they clashed the best with the scarlet red gowns.)

29. I bought those pants for 5 Marks in Germany at a department store.

30. I went to Germany to live with a family at 16.

31. Did I mention I was by myself?

32. I once was pretty fluent in German and often dreamt in German.

33. My first college major was International Relations with a minor in German.

34. The second was Theology.

35. The last was photography.

36. I did my first year at a Jesuit college.

37. In my theology class, the priest said the follow: "if a guy takes a girl out and pays for everything, at the end of the date, she should put out." Not joking. Still trying to figure out what it has to do with the book of John.

38. I decided to become a photographer because of an ad with a very sexy man for Aqua Di Gio. To this day, I keep a copy of the ad in my purse.

39. I wanted to attend a college in Colorado for photography, but my then boyfriend threw a fit and I found a photography school closer to his college.

40. My college mascot was the Mules!

41. or Jennies! for the girls.

42. I graduated from college with a B.S. in photography in only 3 1/2 years.

43. I took 21.5 hours each semester.

44. No, photography classes aren't that easy either.

45. When I met my husband, we were both engaged to other people.

46. I ate lunch with my future hubby almost everyday his last semester.

47. My hubby has the best break up story of all time. (short version-flew girl down on valentines day, broke up with her immediately, turned around back to the airport, she said "my flight isn't until tomorrow." he said, "you're on stand by for the next plane." then drove like mad to go out with our friends for an anti Valentine's day.

48. Our first kiss was at 12:25 that night.

49. It was President's day.

50. He was wearing Doc Martin boots the day I met him.

51. I was wearing a red sweater, jeans, white shirt, green clogs, and green socks.

52. We were wearing matching socks!

53. I didn't know his last name for a long time.

54. We went to San Fransisco together after dating only 3 weeks.

55. My aunt we went to visit in SF said we were soulmates, because our names were very similar.

56. We went to go the Pez Museum.

57. I currently have over 300 different Pez dispensers.

58. I fell in love with our house for the built in china hutch that displays my pez.

59. The hubby and I picked out my engagement ring diamond together.

60. He called me everynight to open and close the box on the phone to tease me.

61. I was still in college, he was here.

62. He proposed by locking me in the kitchen and then playing the hot/cold game with me to find the ring.

63. We got married in the winter. It was not cold at all on our wedding day.

64. We took our honeymoon to Lake Tahoe.

65. Our first dance was to At Last by Etta James.

66. Our goal is to go to all 50 state captial buildings. We currently have 13.

67. I don't have an appendix.

68. or a gallbladder.

69. I love music of all kinds.

70. especially Japanese drumming.

71. I met my best friend 18 years ago yesterday.

72. We have only lived in the same city for 9 months.

73. I know an obsessive amount of random Beatles facts.

74. My friends and I recreated the Abby Road album on the same day they did the original, down to the time.

75. I was fired from a public library in high school. (the librarian's name was Mr. Read. hehehe)

76. I worked at the public pool as well, which has given me an unusual fear of public pools and cleanliness.

77. I didn't drink in college until I met one of my best friends.

78. My favorite drink is either a real mojito or lemonade, raspberry vodka.

79. I love being outside.

80. When I am stressed or having a hard time sleeping, I watch the realestate channel.

81. We only have 22 channels on our tv. (most of which are cspan and home shopping.)

82. If I could move anywhere, I think it would be to Maine or Santa Fe.

83. I love politics. I won't discuss it with you unless you share similar views.

84. I wanted to name Olympia if she was a boy Elway, after one of my other true loves.

85. I saw John Denver in concert in high school.

86. I also saw U2.

87. I also saw the first 2 songs of a Tina Turner concert, after seeing Chris Isaac.

88. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith bumped into me once in Kansas City. I thought it was a girl cutting in line.

89. I try to talk to my mom every day or so.

90. Olympia was named by my hubby. She was unnamed for 17 hours while he decided.

91. His grandmother is greek, which is why she is named Olympia.

92. I wanted to name her Monarch and call her Mona.

93. My favorite drink in the whole world is fountain diet pepsi. I love it!!!!

94. Last week was my last time to work at the YMCA. I worked in the Child Watch for almost 4 years.

95. I am in a constant battle with myself over organization. Not my strong suit.

96. I hate using capital letters.

97. I also get distracted easily. (like reading blogs)

98. I love doing my job. I love meeting all the people and catching great moments in a kids life.

99. We love to eat out. (and especially trying out new restaurants.)

100. I am actually done. I think that is a record for getting something done in one night.

Hope ya'll liked learning way too much about me. If you get bored, do one for your blog.

third time is a charm

2008-07-29T00:19:00.003-05:00

Okay. I will now try to actually write some substance instead of taking the easy road with pics. If you notice the time of these posts, just know that I am still working at all hours of the day, and I just ate half a box of nerds. (yes, I steal candy from my kid. Isn't that why you have kids?) Anywho, not sure where this post is headed, but thought it was time my following have something new to read while taking a break from their state job. (ahem!) These last few weeks have been very busy. I am feeling torn between loving both of my jobs and not finding a good balance. I love my actual work, and I think I would actually love it more if I could devote much more time to it. However, I am also parading around as a part time stay at home mom. Some of you know the demands of time to be the primary care giver. I am counting the days for preschool to start, so I can have at least a few more set times to be at home and return phone calls and actually have uninterrupted work time not after 9:00.

Okay, crabby Jenny done with the complaining section on this blog. I am totally thankful that my business is growing at such a great speed. I love meeting the new people and seeing my regulars. What I love more is the ability to create images that will be looked at for years to come.

Expect new things in the coming days. I have a great friend coming to help organize my house. I truly believe that I use so much energy on my creative side of business, it leaves me with no energy for organization or tidiness. Luckily I have a wonderful husband who cleans well, and moderately puts up with my clutter. But I have a goal to send all the unnecessary items out the door. Super excited!!!

And one last big exciting item...the hot hubby got a huge promotion. He is now a captain on the fire department. For those of you who don't know, he is a fireman. All big hose jokes aside, he loves his job. He was hired 7 1/2 years ago. You have to have 6 years on the job to take the captains test and just a year after taking the test, he is promoted. I am so happy for him. So if you live in Lincoln, and see a hot fireman in a grey shirt, just know you are looking at my husband, and he's mine. (yes, most firemen are hot, and they do know how to use the big hose.)

Two thumbs up!

(especially if you actually made it thru that.)

St. Louis rocks!

2008-07-29T00:15:00.003-05:00

o and the festus cousins @ the arch

my fav pic.

o and the o'fallon cousins @ the magic house

riding the pony at the zoo. yes she needs sunglasses. she didn't want the paparazzi to notice her.

catch up... not ketsup!

2008-07-28T23:35:00.004-05:00

the 4th

1st trip to the eye doctor. everything is a-okay! dr. brightman is the best.

little eintsteins cake

Here is a fast overview of the last few weeks. Olympia turned 4! So far, 4 is not a good age for her, but more on that later. We had a rockin' Little Einsteins birthday party, went to St. Louis to see the family, and had some fun here.

the final rose

2008-07-06T23:24:00.003-05:00

Okay, only a few short hours until the final rose. I'm so excited. For once, I don't actually care who she picks. I hope she picks Jason, but wouldn't care if she picked Jesse. She actually has a head on her shoulders, and is smarter than I gave her credit for in my bracket. That said, I am the big loser of our brackets. There is no way to win now. (Way to go Leah, not a single X on her bracket!) So, here is my bracket. We will see soon. I'm so excited. (a little sad that I won't have a good excuse to sit at Anne's house and drink cosmos, but I think Tuesday is a great reason to do so.)

Two thumbs up!

olympia's pending birthday

2008-06-23T15:22:00.004-05:00

Every year, we go thru a long and trying time. The 2 months leading up to Olympia's birthday, she will constantly change her mind about what time of party she would like. Her first birthday was easy. We decided for her.
Her second birthday was pretty easy for her to decide, since her main love was animals.
But last year, it was tough to pick one princess or even to decide on princesses. This year she started thinking about it in January. Every three days or so it would change. Finally, when push came to shove, she decided on Little Einsteins. (I'm a little surprised, but very happy with the choice.) The cake will be challenge, but we will figure that out later. I made the invitations, and were so pleased with them, thought I would share with you guys.

Thumbs up!

i love morelli

2008-06-22T10:27:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday, I spent 12 hours child free during the awake hours. I know, it's horrible that one would get so much alone time, but it was great. I happen to have had a doctors appointment. Afterward, I drove to Omaha to pick up a friend and her daughter. Her daughter (age 2) ran up to me like I was her long lost best friend. It was incredibly cute. They then drove me to Border's bookstore/the mall. I walked around a very boring mall for 30 minutes. Then walked to Border's to wait for 6:00. It was 3:00 when I got there. Why did I wait? Because, one of my favorite authors, Janet Evanovich was coming for a booksigning. I was so excited. Many of my friends and I have read all of her books. We love them!!!! One of my best friends and her mom met me there. We waited for over 2 hours to see her for 15 seconds. But whatever, I spent time with my friend, had kid free time and got my picture of Olympia wearing her I love Morelli picture signed. Super exciting. We then went out to eat and had cake for dessert, because Stephanie Plum (the main character) would have done that. Here is a picture of us with Janet Evanovich and the picture of Olympia.

Thumbs Up!!!!!

bracket time

2008-06-12T14:52:00.002-05:00

Once again, I am sucked into the reality tv world with the bachlorette. LOVE IT!!!! Some of my friends and I end up watching it either together or on the phone together to discuss all of it. I am ashamed to admit it, but I love it. So, we were going to bet which guy she picks, but instead decided to do a bracket instead. So for those of you who would like to play along, here it is. I will post my completed one later. Feel free to print this for yourself and play along at home.

two thumbs up!!!!

where in the h-e-double hockey sticks have you been??

2008-06-11T00:28:00.002-05:00

I know. What could possibily cause such a hiatus in blogging? I'm not really sure to tell you the truth. Just life going on, and me not wanting to face it on the blog. Please don't take me off your reads. I promise to blog a lot more.

Now a funny story. Olympia didn't take a nap yesterday. Sometimes, I think the naps are more for me than her, but she still will sleep for at least an hour, so I figure she needs them as well. But yesterday, she did fall asleep, so I let her get up. We decided to set the pool up. She played in it for at least an hour. It was very nice for me as well. I sat in the sun and returned phone calls. After she played, we came inside, where she pretty much went from Nice Olympia to Mean/Naughty Olympia in less than 30 seconds. I sent her to her room for a time out. She was yelling at me, so I said, "when you have been quiet for 1 minute, I will tell you to come out." After the minute or so, I called for her. No response. Called again. No response. I went into her room, to find her asleep on her bed. We let her sleep for 20 minutes and woke her up. She was very nice and happy then.

Funny story #2. Olympia can write her name. She is not a fan of writing, but she can. For that reason, she thinks every word is comprised of only letters found in her name. So she just writes those letters to "spell" words. She handed me a piece of paper with some letters on it. "what does this spell, mom?" Well, she actually spelled pop. Wow, a real word. So, I told her what it spelled. Pretty proud of herself, she went to work on another word. "I spelled pop a different way. Look." Well, she spelled poop. Of course, I told her what it spelled. She laughed and has gone on to only spell that word everywhere. Awesome. My kid writes poop. We have been trying to work out more words. But poop continues to be the favorite. Oh well.

Two thumbs UP!

m.a.s.s. b.f.f.

2008-05-15T22:19:00.002-05:00

I have the most wonderful friend. We became closer during the recent trip to Pearlington. She is the most kindred spirit out there. When I grow up I want to be just like her. Yesterday, I was having a horrific day. She saw me and immediately came to give me a hug. (she is a big hugger.) I think she knew I needed it before I could speak the words. It was possibly the best hug I had received in a long time. I wanted her to know how much that meant to me. I hope everyone has someone to give them a hug like that, if not call me and I will try to get one to you.

part 3

2008-05-11T23:43:00.003-05:00

Here are the rest of the pictures. I can't quite figure out how to get more on a post.

More from the Davis Memorial in Hiawatha, KS

The seeds that started this tree were taken to the moon and back literally. An astronaut took them with him on Apollo 14. At the International Forest of Friendship in Atchinson, KS. (also named for the only one day President)

An earthwork of Amelia Earheart. She was born in Atchinson, KS

The bank where the first daylight bank robbery took place. Jesse James and his gang took credit for it. Liberty, MO

roadtrip part 2

2008-05-04T15:30:00.003-05:00

So here are the rest of the roadtrip images. I know you have been on the edge of your seat waiting. I am so cruel making you wait like that.

A monument to the pig that inspired the piggy bank. White Cloud, KS

Lewis and Clark marker. Supposedly there is a rock with their names carved into it, where they slept. We did not see such a rock.

View of 4 states. Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.

House of Junk. This is a monument to a mom. I think it looks like a lot of junk. Hiawatha, KS

Davis Memorial. This is a memorial a man built for his wife when she died before him. He did it back during the depression so his in-laws would not get his money when he died. It was probably the most impressive thing we saw.

the long and winding road

2008-04-23T15:31:00.006-05:00

One of my good friends from college, Krissy and I like to take roadtrips together. Now, this is not your typical Thelma and Louise roadtrip. We carefully plan out a route. We plan every stop along the way. This year was no different, except we had a long list of stops to try and make it to. What kind of stops you ask? Well...odd roadside attractions, of course! So here is the rundown with pictures. We made all 17 stops in about 24 hours. Pretty fun stuff.

The statue commerating Atchison. America's only one day President. He was President for one day until Taylor would take office. Taylor would not take office on a Sunday, so he delayed his oath until Monday. Well, Atchison took the office for one day. Plattsburg, MO

Woodhenge. It is suppose to be a monument like stonehenge, but it looked more like a run down fence. By far the most disappointing of the stops. Smithville, MO
The world's largest ball of string. Weston, MO

Krissy and I at the world's largest ball of string. Weston, MO

The proper roadtrip breakfast.

The tombstone of Prince Eric of Sunbeam. This angus cow sired thousands of calfs. He is an angus legend. St. Joseph, MO

The house where Jesse James was shot. You can actually see the bullet hole in the wall. Along with parts of his coffin and a cast of his skull. St. Joseph, MO

The Glore Psychiatric Museum. A history of psychiatric treatments over the years. This was a little freaky since it is in the old psychiatric ward of the hospital. St. Joseph, MO

An Indian monument by an artist named Toth. He is trying to make a sculputre in every state. This is 50 feet tall and was originally a tree. He carved it with only a chainsaw. Troy, Kansas

A statue of Liberty in Troy, Kansas.

I will do the part 2 soon. Come back to check it out.

it's monday finally!

2008-04-14T09:17:00.002-05:00

My weekend was jam packed! I'm not sure I could have squeezed one more thing in and still been upright at the end. Friday, we went to see Dan Zanes in concert. Our friends asked us to go, and I said sure, not knowing anything about him. They said he was a kids singer on Disney. Well, we are cable-challenged, so I didn't know him. We went for a wonderful dinner before at their house, then on to the concert. Our seats were row BB Seats 1-7. We thought that would mean the back, or apparently the second row! It was awesome!! After the concert we went back to their house for a night cap. (we decided drinking before a kid's concert was maybe not appropriate.) So, that ended late night #1.
Saturday started early with a 2 year old session. She was not real happy about getting picture done. But after bringing the "baby whisperer" (Olympia) down, she did great. We then grabbed a quick bite for lunch. I have to pack up all the gear for a wedding. Most of you know that I don't really do weddings. You have to be someone I know for me to shoot your wedding. I was a wedding assistant for 6 years. I am tired of the wedding scene. So if I agree to do a wedding, they are someone special. And these people were. They are friends of ours from church. Rob went to Pearlington last year with us, where he announced he bought a ring for Sarah before he left. Rob is an amazing carpenter that I witnessed first hand on the trip. For payment of the wedding, we are actually trading pictures for a new dining room set he is building. Anyway, their wedding was a 9 hour job. We then tried to stay and dance, but Olympia was getting tired. I had to stay up and download all the images that night since I had a portrait party the next day, for which I needed all the cards. It was way late when I finally got to sleep. So that was the end of late night #2.
On Sunday, Jeremy let me sleep in until 9:30. (Awesome!!!) But, I had to get ready for the portrait party. Which was a fun easy one. Sure, there were some screamers, but by portrait party standards, it was a fun, easy-going one! I somehow forgot to eat lunch before going, so after, all I wanted was a big steak. So, I packed the family up and took them out to eat. The rest of the night, I sat on the couch and watched bad t.v. (I'm thinking of calling the cable company today, just so I could watch more baseball.) I think it was a well deserved break.
Wow, this was an epic post. Sorry about that. But that was really my weekend. This week is looking much better.

thumbs up!

ttyl (talk to you later)

2008-03-28T00:20:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note, I will be gone for the next week. I am super excited to be going back to Pearlington, Mississippi on a mission trip with the church. I went last June and have been counting down the days to go again. Pearlington has a very special place in my heart. When I was there the last time, it truly was a life changing event. I am so excited for the plastic huts to sleep in, the port-a-potties, the bugs, the warmth, the peaceful mornings, the good southern cooking, the wonderful southern hospitality, sweet tea, and most of all the 38 hours in the van. Please say a little prayer for our group as we embark on the path ahead.

(a pic from the last time)

does this tiara make my butt look big?

2008-03-27T22:20:00.004-05:00

Each day, Olympia decides who she is that day. You then need to find out as soon as possible who it is, remember it and call her by the correct name all day. If you forget, you are immediately repremanded. For example, a common conversation in our house would go like this:
Me: "Olympia, can you please pick up the crayons."
O: "No, I'm Cinderella today."
or
Me: "Olympia please go wash your hands."
O: "Mom, I'm not Olympia, I'm Thomas the train and these are not my hands, they are my wheels."
(duh!?!)
Well, today I was informed she was Cinderella. She must wear her "Where is my prince charming" shirt. I then fed the fire with, don't you think you should have your hair like Cinderella too? (My secret way of getting her hair up for the day.) So, after her hair is properly fixed in a bun, she decides today, Cinderella is wearing a tiara all day. So we ran errands with Cinderella in her full tiara glory. (I'm pretty flexible with how we walk out of the house, as long it covers the proper stuff, is weather appropriate, I'll let it slide)
So, Olympia and I ate at CiCi's pizza today for lunch in the middle of errands. Here is the conversation during the wait in line:
O: "Prince Charming is coming to eat with us."
Me: "Oh he is?"
O: "Yes, but I didn't see his carriage in the parking lot yet."
Me: "Well, I didn't either."
(We get food and sit down)
O: " Oh, there he is. He's getting food right now. He will come sit with us after he gets his food."
Me: "Is he sitting with me or you?"
O: "He is sitting with you, so you need to move over a little. Not too much though, his bottom is not as big as yours."

I'm not sure, but I think if you are wearing a tiara, you must be able to say whatever you like. I had quite the chuckle about it though. I guess I should go back to the gym. (In case you were wondering, no one was actually joining us for lunch. And in the end, Prince Charming decided to sit with Oly-I mean Cinderella.)

Two thumbs up!!

Happy Easter!!!!

2008-03-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

i heart socks!

2008-03-20T21:48:00.003-05:00

I love crazy socks. My friends make fun of me for it, but I don't care. I do not own a single pair of plain white socks. It is a problem I have had since I was young. Of course, my mother taught me to match my sock color to the outfit. I have since wandered from that thought process. My sock sometimes match, mostly not though. When I find a crazy pair of socks, I actually get excited. When I find a crazy pair of socks at the dollar store, for a dollar, I almost hyperventilate. I found these there just the other day. I love the name of the "brand." HOLY SOCKS!!! That is different from most of my current socks...hole-y socks. Just a little funny to get you through the day.

Thumbs up!

march madness

2008-03-20T00:28:00.004-05:00

A good friend, who shall remain nameless to save her job, asked me to fill out a NCAA Basketball bracket with her. Just a little friendly wager for old times sake. I have never in my life filled one out. Nor have I ever been interested in basketball. I'm not sure where most of the teams are even located. But why not? So I printed it out, filled it out in 2 minutes, without really paying attention. I picked teams based on mascots, funny sounding names and regions. But I am pretty sure Indiana is going to upset North Carolina. (GO Hoosiers! (I love that movie!)) We have a dinner riding on the line. Most wins, wins! I'm pretty sure I have it in the bag. Actually neither of us knows what is going on, but for the first time ever, I am excited to see who wins. I have my highlighters ready. Yellow-win, Blue-lost. I read somewhere, that March Madness accounts for a 18% job productivity loss each year. I totally get it now. I won't be watching the games, but I will have to spend each evening, cutting into my work time. Oh well, that's less time for surfing the web for the next big thing. Here's to hoping for a lot of yellow.
(Sorry all my Kansas fans, but I just can't get behind them. I am not a fan of the whole state, so don't take it personally.)

Thumbs up!

the crabby one

2008-03-18T14:55:00.002-05:00

Olympia refers to her different moods as if they were different people. When she is happy we always comment on how great it is that happy Olympia is here today. Well, one day out of nowhere, after I comment on "Happy Olympia" she says, "Watch out Crabby Olympia is coming." If only we were always warned like that as if the mood changes of the typical three year old come with the same warning system as say tornados.
Severe "Crabby Olympia" watch
Severe "Crabby Olympia" warning
Maybe I should give her a siren to carry around, so we will always have enough time to gather the cat, important belongings and head for the basement, before the "Crabby Olympia" came around.
Just a thought!

Thumbs Up!

thankful thursday

2008-03-07T00:41:00.002-06:00

Some of the other blogs I read have "thankful Thursdays." Where they list all the things they are thankful for. Well, to make my day go better, I am going to try it. Here is my thankful Thursday/Friday:

-I am thankful for the crazy excitement my daughter brings to my life. You really never know what you are going to get with her.

-I am thankful my mom loves to talk to me as much as I love to talk to her. I talk to her almost everyday and I actually miss talking to her when it has been a few days.

-I am thankful that we decided to start going to church when I got pregnant. My wonderful friends I have met there, make living each day so much better.

-I am thankful that I am swamped at work. I really didn't think I would ever really have a successful business. It's tough trying to balance a family and business under the same roof, but what a joy I get each time some one is happy with their pictures. I'm not going to lie about it, it's a hard business to be in. (I had to say this one, so I would remind myself that I do love it, even when I am a little crabby, like today.)

-I am thankful that my friends gave me a new show to get addicted to. (Deb, I started it tonight, and all I can think about is how quick can I get back to it.)

Wow, in just a few minutes, I already feel less crabby. Maybe I need to have a thankful day everyday.

aloha dreams

2008-03-03T22:11:00.004-06:00

This is the state fish of Hawaii. It holds a special place in my heart, because my parents thought it was necessary to learn the Hawaiian name "Humuhumunukunukuapau'a" Anyone my call me to hear the proper pronunciation.

Hanauma Bay

Tidal pools on the Big Island

Last week the hubby and I took a little trip to Hawaii. We had a blast. There is nothing better for a marriage, then a week in paradise without the crazy 3 year old to take care of. Unfortunately, my camera has broken since our return, so I can't access all the photos yet. However, I would like to give you a little taste. So here are some from the underwater camera. We snorkeled in two different places. Hanauma Bay and tide pools on the big island. They both were wonderful. The tide pools were described best by our bed and breakfast host as- "snorkeling in your dentist's office aquarium" This fit it to a tee. It was gorgeous.

a little jewel.

2008-02-29T10:15:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Olympia and I went to Sam's Club to get the vacation photos printed. (I will do a Hawaii post soon.) As the lady was checking our receipt, she asked Olympia if she had gotten her picture taken today because she was so cute. Olympia just looked at her with a blank stare, so I said, "No, she just always looks that cute." The lady responded with, "Well, she sure is cute."
Olympia said as we were walking out the door,

"That's because God made me cute."

Thumbs up!

no way really?

2008-02-14T07:36:00.002-06:00

I have something rather shocking to say. Okay here it goes.

I have not been inside Wal-mart since January 1.

Okay, close your mouth, it's not that shocking. But, I somehow managed to survive thus far. I don't think my grocery bill is higher. I know I am less crabby once I am done grocery shopping. I was not a frequent shopper of the mart, but I would visit while I was waiting on pictures from Sam's Club or whatever. But yesterday, I went to Super Target to pick up a few things, and when I handed the lady my reusable bag to put the stuff in, she says, "You know Target now has biodegradable sacks." That is why I will keeping shopping there. Plus, there is never anyone there, they have a great organic line and Olympia loves it there. So ask me every once in a while, and see if I have gone back on my promise.

Thumbs up!

a democracy?

2008-02-10T21:47:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our democratic caucus. Jeremy and I both were so excited about finally having a "vote" the might matter. We took Olympia along to the caucus, so she could see how it works and we didn't want to find a babysitter. She had a blast. They made her wear an "observer" sticker, so she wouldn't accidentally get counted. When dad went and stood with the undecided group, Olympia walked over and said "Daddy, come stand with us!" (that a girl!) Well, of course the caucus is the talk of the town, so she tells everyone that "last night we went to that thing, what's it called mom?" I tell her it was the caucus to which she adds to pick how will live in the white house. (I know she is a freaking genius.)

This afternoon, we were on the couch. I was making notes on a notepad, when Olympia took the pad and pen from me and started to point around the room, then write somethings down, then point some more and write more. I asked her what are you doing? "We're caucusing mom." Of course we are, this is a democracy right?

Thumbs Up!

anatomy lesson

2008-01-26T23:23:00.000-06:00

We went to Saint Louis last week. While there, we went to see Body Worlds 3. For those of you unfamiliar with this, it is an exhibit of real human bodies that have been injected with silicon. The process keeps the bodies in tact so you can see how your body works, moves, fits together. Besides whole intact bodies, there are different body parts that are healthy and unhealthy. I know it sounds really gross, but it is facinating. In 2006, we drove to Denver to see Body Worlds 2. Olympia loved it then, but I was unsure of how she would like it now. Apparently, Olympia might become a doctor or biologist or something along those lines. She loved it. She is still talking about now. With that story, here is a conversation we had today.

O: "When I was a little baby, I was in your tummy?"
J: "Yes you were."
O: "Then you went to the hospital and I was born?" (at this point, I am really worried where this is going.)
J: "Yes, you were born at the hospital."
O: "When I was inside your tummy did I see your bones, like we saw in the bodies?"
J: "I guess you might have seen my bones."
O: "I did see them. It was really neat."

Needless to say, I am glad that conversation didn't turn into a birds and bees conversation. But really isn't it amazing how their minds work.

I won't go into too much detail about the Body Worlds exhibit. But here is a link to the website in case you are interested.
www.bodyworlds.com

Thumbs up!

oh, nevermind

2008-01-25T01:32:00.000-06:00

I started this blog 3 times. But I think instead of going on a rant about stupid emails that are totally untrue or twist the truth around, I am going to say thank you to all my wonderful friends. I am so blessed to have a great number of friends both near and far. When talking with a good friend today (in front of TJ Maxx) I mentioned one of my friends. Then immediately said something about another friend. (All good things.) She said to me, "You have a lot of friends." That made me stop and really think. I have so many good friends, sometimes I don't have any time for them all. Wow what a great problem. So if you are reading this, you are probably one of those that make my day and life great. So a big thank you to you all!

a movie, a real movie?

2008-01-07T15:54:00.000-06:00

Last night my husband, three friends and I got a babysitter and went to the movies. I had been waiting for Juno to come out. While planning a time to go to Omaha to see it, it came to Lincoln. This is the best movie I have seen in a long time. It is funny, has depth and a great soundtrack. What you get out of it will vary on who you are. We decided that maybe the teenagers would like, but not get it totally. Men will like it and women will love it. It has a lot of soul. So I give this movie two thumbs way up. If I know you, I might even consider babysitting so you can see it. hehehe!

Thumbs way up!

tutu much!

2008-01-03T21:55:00.000-06:00

Olympia loves to dress up! The minute we walk into the house she want to put on dress-up clothes. Her Cinderella dress is normally her favorite. I thought she might like a tutu. However, online they are a little expensive. I thought gosh, I could make those. Here is my attempt at it. A little full, but it kinda adds to the fun. Olympia loves to dance around like a ballerina in it.

Thumbs up!

yet another post

2008-01-02T22:32:00.000-06:00

I have had a few request for info about Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace class that Jeremy and I are teaching. Here is a link to our class. You may also look around Dave's sight, get a feel for what it's about. The class is 13 weeks long. There is childcare provided. Let me know if you have any other questions. You do have to pay $96.00 for the materials, but it is a lifetime membership. You may take the class anytime again for the rest of your life. I thought it seemed a little high for a class, but it has saved us at least 3-4 times that amount of money.

http://www.daveramsey.com/fpu/classfinder/index.cfm?fuseAction=dspSignup&intID=121648&selectedTab=2

Two thumbs way up!

a few weeks late...

2008-01-02T22:17:00.000-06:00

When you make Christmas cards for everyone else for a living, there is a lot of pressure to have a cute card. Here was ours this year. I actually really like it. It was a square trifold card. I took Olympia outside right after it had snowed, so it was nice a fluffy. She loved it. Colet (the cat) didn't much care for it. Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

a few days late...

2008-01-02T19:28:00.000-06:00

Here is the official Christmas post. We had a wonderful Christmas. Olympia woke up and wanted to see what Santa brought. She went running out to the living room. For some reason, she went looking under the tree. She kept saying, "I don't think he brought me anything!" (see pouting photo above) Somehow, she missed the huge dollhouse right next to her. Rather funny. When she did find the dollhouse, she was very excited. We pretty much didn't see her for a while. It was quite a nice day. I hope each of your Christmas' were wonderful!

tales from the kitchen...

2007-12-22T01:32:00.000-06:00

I have been working from 9 to 2 or 3 in the morning for several weeks now. The Christmas chaos is about done, so why am I still up at 1:30? Good freakin question. I apparently am unable to sleep anymore. Well, I did fall asleep at 8:30 on the couch, wake up a 10:30, only to not be able to fall asleep in bed. Too much on my mind. I was hoping to finish things with my horrible customer today, but of course their pictures didn't come in, so she is just looming in my mind. So I got up out of bed and cleaned my kitchen. The entire kitchen. I even cleaned out the fridge. I mean really cleaned out the fridge. Everything came out, the drawers and shelves all removed, everything washed. I rearragned so I have one less shelf in there. I think it will make it much easier. I did find a few interesting things. I had a whole door shelf for film. Yes, film. If you keep it in the fridge it will stay good longer. However, I'm not sure that it will keep it good for 6 years past the expiration date. Just a thought. So if anyone would like to do something fun with way expired film (most medium format) let me know, I will give it to you.

On a separate note, I found a lot of beer in our fridge. So please come by sometime and help us drink it. (I always have other drinks for the non beer drinkers.)

I hope all of you have a safe and merry Christmas.

Until the next bout of insomnia...

thumbs up!

desperate?!?

2007-12-14T01:47:00.000-06:00

Have you ever noticed that Hollywood has yet to recreate something correctly?! I mean can Lassie really know when tornados are coming and warn everyone in time? Or does everyone tape up their windows when there is a tornado watch? On a whim to calm my mind tonight, I decided to catch up on my Desperate Housewives. Seriously! Don't you think that maybe the writers/set designers/directors would at least consult someone who had been in a tornado, before spending all that time and money on the show? If we taped our windows everytime there was a tornado watch, we would live with a partial view of the world the entire spring. Or imagine how much people could save if they had a four hour warning before a tornado. Hey, it Hollywood. The day they get real life correct, well, that show would be boring or depressing or even uneventful. Maybe if we all stopped watching dramas we would have a lot less drama in our own life. (I'm not sure how this turned into a soap box, sorry!)

Thumbs up!

almost done

2007-12-06T02:25:00.000-06:00

I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The Christmas cards are slowly winding down. I give it about 1 more week of staying up late, and then I should be able to pick my life back up. Just in case you would like to see some examples of what I am doing in my basement, here is the link to my flickr site. You can view a very small sample of cards. I do all of the layout work on each one. Sometimes when I am stuck, I go to card printer websites to get some inspiration. Feel free to leave feedback about them. (as long as it is positive, negative feedback is not welcome until January.) So happy freakin' Christmas to each of you!
(yes Jodee, you may copy and paste this to your blog. :) )

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8105009@N03/sets/72157603386787812/

thumbs up!

change your family tree...

2007-12-04T22:26:00.000-06:00

I took a look at the last few blogs. I seem to be a little crabby. It's probably due to the wonderful holiday season. It's great to have a booming business, but I'm thankful it's only for a few months. What gets me the most, is people who seem to forget when Christmas is. Like, oh my gosh, you mean Christmas is on the 25th this year. I totally forgot. Seriously. Same day as last year. Remember last year when you didn't have your pictures done and you paniced and swore you would be on the ball next year. Guess what, you totally forgot that Christmas was coming, and once again, you realize you need pictures and cards now. Guess what there is some one working hard on those pictures. Remember that, they are taking time out of their holiday season to do that for you. So, if you forgot to get your pictures done, don't give them your order and then call 3 hours later asking for your card proof. There just might be a few others who forgot when Christmas was. Please be nice to your photographer (who should be me if you are reading this) it's a very stressful time for them.

On a much lighter note. I was trying not to be crabby, preachy or bitchy for this blog. Oh well, messed that up didn't I? I wanted to let each and everyone of you (okay the 2 of you that read this) what a great year Jeremy and I have had! I what I realized the most is that so much of it is because of a great decision we made early on. In February we took Financial Peace University at our church. Our friends were teaching it, and we wanted to have a good class to take on Wednedays, so we signed up. Little did I know what life changing decision that was.

Financial Peace University is a program put together by Dave Ramsey. He is a financial guru, who teaches you to act your wage. His advise is not hard to get. We started the 13 week class, not sure if we would buy into the thought process. It has been great. We are now debt free except our house, have an emergency fund and no longer have little disagreements about money. If you don't have the money in your envelope, then you don't get to buy it.

WAIT!!??! Did you say, if I don't have the money I don't buy it?
Yes, that right, if you don't have the money you don't buy it. If you only have $20 dollars for groceries for the rest of the week, then you learn to love rice. (Dave always says rice and beans, but I don't care for beans too much.) We have envelopes that are filled with a set amount of cash every 2 weeks. And if you don't have money in your envelope, then too bad you have to save your money. It's amazing how great this works. Not only do we feel like we suddenly have money, but we also have less stuff, because you have to justify every penny.

The best part, since we've had Olympia and I stopped working a normal job, each year at Christmas, it's a little tight to make ends meet, we never had to use a credit card or anything, but I was very nervous. But this year, we had the money put aside. We just paid cash for it all. No need to worry, we had been anticipating Christmas since February. Isn't that great!?! I am so excited I want to tell everyone we know, unfortunately, we live in a society that is afraid to talk about money. Or where it seems like bragging to tell this sort of thing. So, here is my bragging. We paid for Christmas with cash, I bought Jeremy a trip to Hawaii for our anniversary with cash. That's right the whole trip already paid for!

If you are interested in how to change your family tree, let me know, we are teaching the same class early next year. Come and join us! As Dave says, "We give you the same financial advice your grandmother would, except we keep our teeth in"

TWO thumbs up!

I don't think we are in Kansas anymore...

2007-11-27T15:42:00.000-06:00

I received an email today from someone who is thinking of starting her own photography studio. She asked me for advice on several subjects and if I could help her in any way with how to start, how to advertise etc. At first I was very pleased that she looked at my website and thought I would be a good person to help her out. I am always flattered when someone pays me a compliment about my work. It is a cut-throat business and there are always people out there to remind you that they don't like something you do. (I always remember all the negatives.) Back to the email, as I started to think what I would say, a little devil popped up on my shoulder and said "don't give her any of your secrets." I am very appalled that anything would make me think that. I always consider myself a generous person. I like to think that my clients come to me for my personality as much as my ability. There are some that would say you don't want to teach your competition, but why not? Won't your clients come to you, because they like you? Well, not really. Unfortunately, our society has become so dependant on getting a bargain, that they don't care about small business or personal relations. (some call this the walmart epidemic) I will be the first to admit, when a new client says to me "I used to use so-and-so for my pictures, but they raised their prices so high, I can't afford it," I am a little happy. I have probably won that client over with my prices. But the more I think about it, I'm a little sad and worrisome. So, if I raise my prices because of raising lab fees, does that mean they will leave me? What happened to personal relationships with your business people. I know, I enjoy talking with the guy at "Goin' Postal" where I do all of my mailing. I enjoy the smiles and conversations I have with the Sam's Club photo center. Just think about what would happen if we all unplugged and started talking with each other while checking out at the grocery store, ordering food, etc.

As for the girl, I am going to email her information. She lives in Kansas, and is not a threat to my business. But I'm glad that she asked. It taught me a little about myself as well.

thumbs up!

a bag of everything...

2007-11-26T18:02:00.000-06:00

Happy Holidays! They are official upon us. The stores are filled to the brim with stuff, everywhere you go Christmas music is playing, and I am working late into the night trying to get all those holiday cards designed and out the door. Every year I say at some point in time, "I hate the Christmas season!" This year, however, I am thankful that I have a business that is booming and a daughter who will play in the living room while I doze on the couch after only getting a few hours of sleep. (For those of you concerned about her safety, I am never really asleep, just enough to get some rest and still comprehend what is going on.)

I went to a charity auction on Saturday with some friends. I had donated a gift certificate, so someone gave me a ticket to attend. I was only somewhat excited to go. You can never win anything because they always go way over the actual price. However, I did get a membership to the children's museum. Oh yeah, and a trip to Hawaii. That's right a trip to Hawaii. I still have to buy on ticket, but it was a great deal. We are going for our anniversary in February. I am so excited. There is a new reason to work late into the night. (for my fellow Dave Ramsey followers, I paid cash for the trip. I am super pumped about that. Want to know more about Dave Ramsey, let me know, I am teaching a class in January/February.)

On the other hand, we had quite the eventful Thanksgiving. We went to one of our friend's parents house. (One nice thing about having a husband who works on holidays is you get invited to other people's dinners and celebrations. Then I don't have to cook for myself.) We were just getting ready to leave, coats on and all, when Olympia feel and hit her head on a space heater. I thought it was just a bump, however, there was a huge gash in her head. Just so everyone is informed, head injuries bleed a lot. We rushed into the car and my great friend Jeff got us to the E.R. safe and fast. (We were about 25 miles outside of the city.) My husband met us there. By the time we made it to the hospital, Olympia was acting fine and was quite excited about being at the hospital with the possibility to ride in an elevator (elegator according to her.) She had to get 2 staples in the back of head. She is fine otherwise. On the upside, we did get to see daddy for a little while on a holiday, but I think just going to the fire station would have been easier. What an exciting night.

thumbs up!

seriously...

2007-11-21T02:07:00.000-06:00

In a moment of deep reflection tonight, I realize that maybe our society has a hard time separating reality and fiction. But that moment only lasted for about 30 seconds. I like to watch tv as much as the next person. And since I already established that I love The Bachelor, I feel a need to discuss what has taken place with this show. This will be the only time I discuss it again. (In case you are somehow out of the loop, he didn't pick either girl.) If he loved one girl, he should maybe propose, but kinda hard to tell after only 6 weeks, during which you were talking to/kissing/making out with/using romantic suites with other women. I personally thought it was a little crazy to propose, but that is what America wants, the fairy tale ending. If he only liked one and thought there was potential, then he should "date" her. However, in the most dramatic moment in bachelor history, (Chris's words not mine) he picked neither. He lead on the one I thought he should pick, but backed out last minute. I'm pretty sure that he has serious commitment issues of some sort. So do I feel let down? Am I so mad I'm not going to watch agian? Do I feel sorry for those girls? No. (ok maybe I do feel sorry for them a little bit...but have they ever seen the Bachelor? don't they know there is a real chance of getting your heart broken?) I will, like a sucker, tune in next spring when they start a new season. I look forward to it.

On a separate note, I was told to mention what it was that made me feel an instant attraction to my husband. Was it his charming looks? Was it his great smile? Was it his nice backside? (trying to keep it PG for my mom.) Was it his eyes? No. It was his knees. Isn't that funny. My ex-boyfriend before him was a skinny-minny. I mean 6'4" and a buck twenty. For those of you who don't know what my husband looks like, he looks like a man. He is a big strong man. He has big manly knees. He looks like a guy who will be man enough to take care of you. For some reason, when I saw his knees, I was melting. He had me at his knees. (that was really bad, Jerry Maguire was on the other night, so it was fresh in the mind.)

Also, the day I met my husband, he and I were wearing matching socks. What are the chances of that happening? It was ment to be. Although it took almost a year of flirting and dating for him to realize it. (See Mr. Bachelor, sometimes you have to date someone for awhile before you know for sure if they are your lobster. (like that episode of Friends.))

thumbs up!

guilty pleasure

2007-11-18T00:20:00.000-06:00

Everyone has their vices. They're little guilty pleasures that some know about and some do not. There is a whole Sex in the City episode devoted to this. (I know because even without cable, I can watch 2 full hours of Sex and the City everynight.) Most people know that my biggest guilty pleasure is Diet Pepsi, especially a fountain one.

However, one of my little known guilty pleasures is watching "The Bachelor." There is nothing better than feeling better about yourself as you watch women fight over a man they hardly know. He is attractive, I'll give him that. I wait on the edge of my seat during the rose ceremony just to see Chris waltz into the room and say..."Ladies, Brad...this is the final rose tonight." Well, duh Chris. Do you think there is a woman in the room that is not aware of that fact. It is pretty much my favorite part of the show. (For those of you who don't know this Chris has a show on HGTV called Designers Challenge. I giggle alot when watching that with my mother-in-law. I have to mutter under my breath..."Ladies..this is the final rose tonight.)

But they never pick the right one. Stupid men that they are, always pick based on judgements made with the brain further south. However, tomorrow is the finally for this season. I have faith in the good Texas boy to pick the right one. I'll let you know if he does or not. I'm not saying which one I like, the Bachelor is a lot like politics you will always make someone mad with your opinion. So to avoid being judged, I won't say who I like.)

thumbs up!

does my hair look fake?

2007-11-16T14:38:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, one of my photo party assistants asked quite the odd question on our way to a party. It went something like this:
She says: "Can you tell my ponytail is fake?"
I say: "What it's fake?"
"Yes it is. I got it on the home shopping network. My ponytail is just a little stub, so this makes it long."
"What they make that? How does it stay on your head?"

Here's where it got really interesting. I am a pretty open minded person, but for some reason when she took out the clip with the hair attached, I freaked out a little. Ok, it was a lot. I think I screamed like a little girl. Appartently, one of my biggest fears in fake hair. It looked real in her hair, but looked like a freakish monster on the clip. It's a little wierd, I'll give you that. All through the party, I would get a glimpse of her hair and get the ebe gebees. On our way home, she thought she would put it in my hair. I'm pretty sure everyone in a ten block radius heard me screaming "GET IT OUT!"

On a different note, asinine is not spelled with two s's like one would think. I learned that as well last night. But I suppose it wouldn't be asinine to spell it correctly.

thumbs up!

day one

2007-11-14T01:09:00.000-06:00

I know several people who have figured out this blogging thing. I thought it was time to catch up with the Jones'. It only recently occured to me to have a blog when the other day I had an ah-ha moment and no one to share it with. Here it is:

My daughter loves Dancing with the Stars. We were watching (actually I was watching it and she was dancing around the room with them.) They always pan the audience to show you some celebrity sitting there. I looked up at the exact moment they showed Hillary Clinton. Wait that wasn't Hillary, it was Carol Brady (Florence Henderson.) Do you think that maybe Hillary has gotten so far in public life because the public relates her to Mrs. Brady, the best wife, mom and homemaker on the planet. I am somewhat a fan of Hillary, not sure if I would vote for her, but I am going to have to sit down and really think about this.

The other reason I thought I might need a blog is for stress relief. I work odd hours in my little office, and maybe at 1:00 in the morning, I can actually have a conversation with someone (myself). That will save my west coast friend from long but incredably funny phone calls late at night. So check back sometimes. I might not have much to say, but something funny always happens if you make it.
(my friend AJ's blog always ends in good times. I feel like I need one too.)

thumbs up!