Birthday

Happy 76th Birthday Grandma "Shorts" (with Grandpa)

I also wanted to add this picture in here. This is me when I was 8 with my grandparents puppy Maj.... Yeah, she's a puppy here. They also later got another Newfie and her name was Ida. They have both been gone for some time now. My Grandma gave us this picture at Christmas.

Christmas and Snow

Christmas is finally over. I am glad, not because I don't like Christmas, but now my countdown to my trips can really begin. I leave for New York in a little over a week and then not a month later, I am off on my cruise. I didn't take many pictures this year, just two. The tree with all the presents and then the pile of wrapping paper after the feast... Oh the carnage.

And this is what the "experts" are telling us. More snow....

Just what we needed when we still have a foot or more on the ground from the storm last week. Where we are, we usually fall somewhere between what they predict for the Metro area and the Foothills. Goodness gracious... 2 feet!?!

It's Gonna Be A White Christmas

There is no way this stuff will melt before Monday... it's not gonna be warm enough to melt it all. I absolutely LOVE snow. We were sent home early from work today and there is a chance we won't have to go in tomorrow. We will see though. The big wigs at work tend to not think a whole lot of things through. The didn't send us home today till 1pm and we should've been sent home around 9am. Ridiculous.... Anyway, here are some pictures I thought I would share with you. Hope you enjoy.


The snow is up to the door on my car.


See the snow hanging off the side of the neighbors garage...


The stairs down from our front deck...

NYC Plans

Well, I knew I was going to have a problem being in NYC only a few days. My flight gets in at 2:30 on Saturday, so that means, I will have Saturday evening, Sunday and Monday. My birthday is on Sunday. I had a choice of two dates/times for Mary Poppins. Saturday night at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. I thought about going for Saturday night cause then I would have ALL DAY Sun and Mon to sightsee. But I was afraid, that if my flight was delayed, I would miss the show. That wasn't an option. So I will be going to the Sunday 3pm show. I am excited. I narrowed down the things I must see to just three. Empire State Building, Rockefeller Plaza, and Ellis and Liberty Island. Of course Ellis/Liberty Island will be weather permitting. I am hoping that I get lucky and they have really nice weather that weekend. But I am preparing for the possibility of that not happening. I am probably going to get a ticket for the double decker sight seeing bus so that could be my main mode of transportation. I have to make my reservations for the airport transfers. I looked at getting a town car or something but I don't know for sure. It's not exactly cheap. That's as far as I have gotten with my plans.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer:
What language would you like to learn and why?
I took French in middle school and high school. I haven't used it since. I would like to refresh that. But I would also love to learn Italian. These will both come in handy when I am travelling in Europe.

Soup:
What is the funniest thing you've heard or read so far this week?
Got this video from one of the guys I work with... it's hilarious!


Salad:
Which movie was so bad you couldn't watch the whole thing?
Going Overboard. It's an early Adam Sandler movie. I rented it and it was so bad that I actually took it back the video store and got my money back for it. It was THAT BAD!!!!

Main Course:
If there were a holiday in your honor that didn't use your actual name what would the day be called?
Reading day... I LOVE to read.

Dessert:
Name one movie which is coming out soon that you would like to see
The Holiday. There are lots but that one I REALLY want to see tomorrow... which is when it comes out.

Before I get to that....

Well, here it is a week later and I have my Friday's Feast ready to go. But since I haven't posted yet this week, I thought I would fill in a little bit before I get to that. I am just trying to remember what I was going to post about earlier this week... now I don't know. It has been a bit uneventful but not boring. Don't remember if I posted about this earlier, but about a month or so ago, I got hit in my car... my car I have only had for 4 MONTHS!!! It's a 2006 Honda Civic and I LOVE IT! Anyway, I got hit and it had to go to the body shop. I missed my car soooo much and despised the rental I got. Well, I got my car back today. I keep thinking, I need to name her... but I don't know what to name her. I am sure something will come to me eventually. I have never named a car so I am going to take my time on this.

Last Saturday my friend L had her baby shower. It was up north so we drove up there together. It was nice to see her again. She moved about an hours drive away so I don't see her as often as I would like. I did tell her that when she has that baby, I will be there a lot more. I need to make good on that too. I will benefit two-fold. I will get to enjoy the baby and I will have the company of my friend again. The thing that stinks is... I am going to be on my cruise the week of her due date. I told her she either needs to have him the week before or the week after. Not that she has any control over it but...


I finally decided what I am going to do for my birthday... I am going to NYC!! I have been there once but didn't get to see any of the sights really. We just drove around looking for a place to park... no fun. I leave Jan 6th and come home on the 9th. I am going to freeze my butt off but it will be fun. I hope to go see Mary Poppins on Broadway. That was my favorite movie when I was a kid... that and the original Cat in the Hat. I still love Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Friday's Feast

I saw this on another blog one day awhile ago and thought I would give it a try. It would give me something to write if I had nothing else. I had actually kind of forgotten about it until today. So here it goes.

Appetizer:
Have you ever flown a helicopter?
No... but I would be up for it if given the opportunity. I've never even been in one but I would not hesitate at that either.

Soup:
What color is your warmest coat or jacket?
Yellow and Black, and I got to wear it today as it was only 3 degrees out this morning... brrrr.

Salad:
What is your favorite rainy day activity?
I like to sit and watch it rain... if it is in fact actually raining. If it is just cold I like to curl up in my bed under all the blankets and either watch a good movie or read a good book.

Main Course:
Describe your hands--
Plain, I rarely wear jewelry. I have one knuckle that is swollen from arthritis, the rest of my fingers are fairly small although not tiny... I sometimes look at them and think they look old (aside from the arthritis), but then other days, not so much.

Dessert:
If you could only eat one nut for the rest of your life, what nut would you pick?
Walnut... they give me the warm a fuzzy feeling of a good memory with my great grandmother.

A Hug Can Brighten Up Your Day

I don't think I need to add anything to this....

Contemplation

Well, Thanksgiving went okay... My cousin was there along with her
boyfriend. Turns out she is 7 months along already. Thursday was
uncomfortable with her and J there. On Friday we all were back at the
grandparents for leftovers and she was there without J. Much better and
laid back. After we ate, we were all sitting there and talking. A started
talking about how she and J had discussed adoption for the baby. I just sat
there and listened. You can tell that she is not sure if that is what path
she wants to take with this baby, and J obviously is leaning toward that.

Today I was talking to my friend about it and she asked if they had
considered a family adoption... meaning me. I have thought about it a bit.
But there are a few things to consider. First the baby is only 2 months
away and that is not much time to prepare, second, I don't know how
receptive she would be to me adopting the baby (we were not on the best of
terms the last time we talked), and third, I would be very concerned that
she and J would change their minds and I would lose the baby to them. I
don't know if I could handle that. But I can't stop thinking about it!! I
don't know if I should put out feelers to other family members (her mom and
dad or our grandparents) to see what their take is on it, or if I should
just step back away from it and hope that they make the right decision and
place the baby with a family and leave it at that. I don't know....

Today is a struggle for Me

I am sitting here at work in complete shock and can't even think about work, even though I have a pile of it sitting on my desk. The really bad thing is that I am in shock over something that I knew was inevitable one day. I was just talking to my grandpa about Thanksgiving dinner and he informed me that my cousin A would be there and that he thought we should know something before we got there... A is pregnant....

I guess a bit of background on A would be appropriate here for anyone who may stumble upon this...

She is my cousin who I would define as the "blacksheep" of the family. It was not this way until a couple years ago. Half way through her senior year of HS, she ran off to live with her 'boyfriend' whom no one had met. Rather than living with him and not be married, they ran off the court house and got married. Mind you she is 18 and still supposed to be in school. Well, she finally ends up moving back in with her parents and finishes school. She moves back in with her now husband to only have him kick her out a few weeks later. She moves back home, and then joins the Army. She is at bootcamp for I think a total of 2 weeks before they send her home because she is not adjusting. She then proceeds to move in with a guy, J, who she met while she was enlisting. She is still married to the previous guy and this new guy is married with a baby on the way. At one point she moves in with the grandparents and they attempt to help her get her life straightened out.... she can't hold a job and she ends up back with J. In all this there are some extenuating medical issues etc which I will not delve into here. In the meantime, as far as I know, she is still legally married to the first guy (they can't afford a divorce because neither of them can hold a job for any amount of time). J had attempted to enlist in the Army only to be turned down because he had a pending felony check fraud charge. So now she is pregnant...

I knew this would happen and I would always think about how I would handle this and here it is and I don't know what to say. I know a lot of things I want to say but I know they are inappropriate and unnecessary. However, all I can think is how is she shouldn't have a baby because she can't even take care of herself let alone a child. That is what keeps going through my mind, not, how can I reach out to her and try to help her (whether she would accept or not), which, I know, is how I should handle this situation. I am sick to my stomach over this and I am not sure what aspect of this bothers me more. Is it the fact that the lifestyle she has chosen is not the ideal situation to raise a child in and in my line of work, I have seen many situations like this where a child is living, and it all manifests itself in a negative situation for the child? Is it the fact that since all these things with her blew up, she has been unwilling to accept a true offer of assistance to get her life in order, and follow through on it, from ANYONE? Is it the fact that I have not been able to forgive her for the way she has treated our family with such disregard, regardless of all the hurt and worry she has put us through over the last few years (whether she asks for forgiveness or not, I know that the right thing is for me to forgive her anyway and I have been struggling with this for some time. It is a battle I fight frequently, I trust (too) easily and then when someone betrays that trust, I have a hard time forgiving and trusting again)? Or is there a bit of jealousy there on my part, she is just 21, and is going to be a parent, something which I personally doubt she is prepared for emotionally or financially and then there is me, about to turn 28 in a couple months, and ALL I have EVER wanted in my life is to be a mom (the fact that I have not accomplished the one thing I want in my life is something that I have been dealing with and considering for about a year now. I am actually seriously considering adopting in a few years if I am still single and childless by then, but I think this news has just "rubbed it in" (for the lack of a better term)? I am leaning toward the latter two facts, and I think that I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that these are my issues that I need to deal with, not something that I can blame on her. I can lay blame no where but on myself which makes it that much more difficult to deal with.

Soundtrack of My Life

I just played this game that I got from another blog, and I thought I would
see what it gave me. Try it out.... it will have you laughing too. Here is
what you do:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that�s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don�t lie and try to pretend you�re cool�

Opening Credits: Didn't You Know How Much I Loved You - Kellie Pickler
Waking Up: When Love Comes Down - Point of Grace (oops... I have Christmas
songs in here too)
First Day At School: The Lady Is a Tramp - Frank Sinatra
Falling In Love: So Says I - The Shins
Fight Song: Just a Kiss - Steve Holy
Breaking Up: Ol' 55 - The Eagles
Prom: You Rescued Me - Jamie O'Neal
Life: Whenever You Remember - Carrie Underwood
Mental Breakdown: To Be With You - Jamie O'Neal
Driving: Under the Weather - KT Tunstall
Flashback: Nice N Easy - Frank Sinatra
Getting Back Together: The Hunger - Steve Holy
Wedding: Where I Began - Caedmon's Call
Birth of Child: Hearts In Celestial Union - Gandalf (came on the computer,
it's a little strange)
Final Battle: Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
Death Scene: (There's Gotta Be) More to Life - Stacie Orrico
Funeral Song: If I Was Jesus - Toby Keith
End Credits: One Day Closer to You - Carolyn Dawn Johnson

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed in this. I was hoping more of them
would be more fit for what part of my "life" they were associated. I wonder
what it would come out if I tried it one more time.....

Opening Credits: You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone - Brooks and Dunn
Waking Up: I Just Can't Live a Lie - Carrie Underwood
First Day At School: Talk to Me - Lee Ann Womack
Falling In Love: When You Get To Me - Lee Ann Womack
Fight Song: (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - Nat King Cole
Breaking Up: Something Worth Leaving Behind - Lee Ann Womack
Prom: You're Not Alone Tonight - Keith Urban
Life: Good Together (Bucket and Chicken) - SheDAISY
Mental Breakdown: Song For Dad - Keith Urban
Driving: She's My Kind of Rain - Tim McGraw
Flashback: Take It Easy - The Eagles
Getting Back Together: Sweet - Toby Keith
Wedding: The Next Time You Go - Eugene Edwards
Birth of Child: I've Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra
Final Battle: Lie To Me - Pushmonkey (not my kind of music, came on the
computer)
Death Scene: When We Are One - Gabriel Mann
Funeral Song: Is That a Tear - Tracy Lawrence
End Credits: Where We Belong - Jamie O'Neal

Okay, so it wasn't much better the second time around. Maybe it will work
better for others.

30 Questions

I love these things where you get to answer questions about yourself. As
cheesy as they may seem, I think some of them can really make people think
about things and you could really learn something about yourself with them.
So here I go with another one.

1) What side of the heart do you draw first? Right

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose? Nope.

3) What color is your razor? Blue

4) What is your blood-type? B (don't know whether it's positive or negative)

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours? I don't think I could take
24 hours tied to anyone. I am really anal about my "personal space"

6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you? I don't know that I have
ever heard one.

7) How do you feel about carrots? I will eat them raw (cooked ones are
slimy)

8) How many chairs at the dining room table? 4, although the dining room
table is only used for craft projects or wrapping gifts.

9) Which is the best spice girl? Don't even remember all their names.

10) Do you know what time it is? Bedtime

11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince song? Well this is a story
all about how my life got flipped turned upside down...

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator? If I was by myself
or just a couple people I already knew, I would be okay, otherwise I might
freak out.

13) Whats your favorite kind of gum? I like all kinds. I do really like
watermelon though.

14)T or F: Alls fair in love and war. False

15) Do you have a crush on anyone? Someone at work, but in case anyone I
work with were to stumble across this, I am not going to name names. There
was this guy who I used to work with who I was absolutley crazy about and
one of my co-workers found out about it and sunk her nails into him. That
co-worker is a whole other post in and of itself and maybe I will take the
time to put that down here sometime.

16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning?
If I don't know what it means, I don't use it.

17) Do you like to sleep? I LOVE to sleep!

18) Do you know which US states don't use Daylight Savings? Arizona, and
Indiana (don't know if there are any others)

19) Do you know the song Total Eclipse of the Heart? A little before my
time.

20) Do you want a bright yellow 06 mustang? That would be fun. I like the
new retro design and yellow is my favorite color.

21) What's something you've always wanted? A child.

22) Do you have hairy legs? It's winter, do you really think I would waste
my time on shaving my legs when no one sees them except me?

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake? Neither. Lakes give me
the eebie jeebies, and I have a seriously irrational fear of sharks.

25) Do you wear a lot of black? I think I wear a moderate amount.

26) Describe your hair. Just above my shoulders and drives me crazy because
it flys in my face.

27) Do you have Entomophobia? Do I have WHAT!? (see question 16)

28) Are you an adult? I at least pretend that I am

29) Where are your best friends? Florida, about 2000 miles away from me,
not close enough.

30) Do you have a tan? I never have a tan.

31) Are you a television addict? My name is R and I am a tvholic.

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother? I better, I am going to be
on a cruise ship with her in the same room for a week.

33) Are you a sugar freak? Yep

34) Do you like orange juice? I like it although I don't drink it a lot. I
am partial to apple juice.

35) What sign are you? Capricorn

36) What color is your Cell Phone? Black

37) Where do you wish you were right now? Paris

Misc. Thoughts

I don't really have some deep contemplative writings to put down here. Just a few thoughts that cross my mind on a pretty regular basis:

-- How can people do such horrible things to others. This is such a terribly tragic story that you can feel your heart drop when you hear it.

-- I want to go to Europe. I say this A LOT!!! I really do want to go. As much as I really can't afford it right now, I am going to do everything in my power to make it happen this year. I had been thinking about taking 3 weeks or so in a couple years and spend it over there, but the more I think about it, the less I want to wait. Maybe if I go see Paris and London this year, I can see some other places when I go in a couple years.

-- I miss my friends terribly. They live in Florida and I can't be there nearly as much as I want to be. Maybe I can make a long weekend in January.

-- Is it time for my cruise yet? We have our plane tickets to fly down to Florida. Got them for a steal. Less than $250 for both my mom and I, round trip, non-stop! My travel agent was even amazed.

-- Christmas will be here before we know it. Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away. I have my shopping started (what I haven't done, I have no idea what I am going to get). I will hopefully have my stuff for my cards this week, so I can get them done while I am housesitting the week of Thanksgiving.

A Little About Me

Are You:
1. A Cuddler? Yes
2. A Morning Person? Not in this lifetime.
3. A Perfectionist? Only in some areas of life. For the most part, I am
very disorganized.
4. An Only Child? Yes
5. Catholic? No
6. In Your PJs? Yes
7. Currently Suffering from a Broken Heart? It has finally healed.
8. Okay Styling Other Peoples Hair? I can french braid... does that count?
9. Left Handed? The only thing I can do with my left hand is eat.
10. Addicted to MySpace? I just go on there to keep up with a few friends
from college... maybe 1-2 a month.
11. Shy Around the Opposite Sex? Before I get to know them... although I am
like that around all people.
12. Loud? Not really

Do You:
1. Bite Your Nails? When I am nervous/stressed
2. Get Paranoid at Times? Not really
3. Currently regret something you have said/done? Not that I can think of
4. Curse Frequently When You Get Mad? Only when I am REALLY mad.
5. Enjoy Country Music? Yes
6. Enjoy Smoothies? Yes
7. Enjoy Talking on the Phone? Yes
8. Have a Lot to Learn? There is a whole world of information out there
that I have to learn.
9. Have a pet? I have 2 dogs, border collies Sadie and Anna
10. Have a Tendency to Fall for the "Wrong" Person? I have only fallen for
one... don't know that I would say he was the "wrong" person, but he was
obviously not the one I was supposed to be with.
11. Have all Your Grandparents Died? None of them.

Have You:
1. Been Told you Are Smart? Yes
2. Had a Broken Bone? Yes, my arm/elbow
3. Changed a Diaper? Many
4. Changed a Lot Over the Last Year? Not really
5. Had Friends Who Have Never Seen Your Real Hair Color? No
6. Had Surgery? On my broken arm/elbow
7. Killed Anyone? If I did do you really think I would admit it.
8. Had Your Hair Cut in the Last Week? No

Last Person Who:
1. Saw You Cry: My mom, I was feeling really down
2. Went to the Movies With You: My mom and dad, don't remember what we went
and saw though.
3. You Went to the Mall With: My mom
4. You Went to Dinner With: My mom... I am seeing a pattern here.
5. You Talked to on the Phone: If you don't count the quick call to my mom
after work today, it was my friend BJ in Florida.
6. Said "I Love You" to and Meant It: Just my family members and close
friends.
7. Made You Laugh: My uncle sent me a really funny email.

Would You Rather:
1. Pierce your nose or tongue? Nose
2. Be serious or be funny? Funny
3. Drink whole or skim milk? Whole
4. Die in a fire or drown? Neither really.. but if I had to choose, fire.
5. Spend time with your parents or enemies? Parents

About You:
1. What Time is it? 10:59 pm
2. Name? R (leary about putting my real name on here for all to see)
3. Nicknames? None (that I am willing to put out there)
4. Where were you born? Denver, CO
5. What is your birthdate? January 7
6. What do you want? A family to raise.
7. Where do you want to live? I would like to live in a small close knit
town (think Stars Hollow on Gilmore Girls)
8. How many kids do you want? I always said that I would like a couple of
my own and then adopt but right now at this point in my life, having my own
children isn't such a priority, there are too many children out there in the
world who need a loving family.

First Snow of the Year

It's finally here!!!! Our first snow of the year. As much as I despise driving to and from work in it, I LOVE the snow!!!! Here are a few pictures I snapped when I got home tonight. The snow wasn't supposed to start till later this afternoon/evening, but we had a rain/snow mix before I went to lunch and by the time my lunch hour was over, it was all snow. I am wondering how long it will last because they said we would get 1-8 inches and we already have about 4 now, and it is only 6:45. Well, enjoy the pictures, while I enjoy the snow.

When's My Next Trip?

Well, I survived Albuquerque. We hit a few bumps in the road, one being the hotel cancelled our reservation without notifying us... imagine trying to find a hotel in Albuquerque during Fiesta when there are hundreds of thousands of people in town... not a fun experience. The hotel was able to wrangle up 2 rooms for us and I ended up on the sofa bed. We survived... It was really great down there. I love the balloons in the early mornings, it's so beautiful! Here are a few pictures.






Very rarely do I finish one trip and not have the next one lined up. This time is no different. I have a Caribbean cruise booked for February.

I am very excited. I have taken one other cruise, 3 years ago for my 25th birthday. I came back from that trip more relaxed than ever. I was actually refreshed and ready to go back to work after that trip. Even after a big fiasco of almost missing our flight home, I was still relaxed. I always tell people, if you want a relaxed trip, take a cruise. There's no worries of where you are going to eat, what you're going to do. You have choices and they are pretty easy to make for the most part. I am just ready to sail off into the sunset.

Balloon Fiesta

It has been awhile since I posted. Things have been a bit crazy for me. But for the next 4 days, I have nothing to worry about. I am headed off early tomorrow morning for Albuquerque, NM for the International Balloon Fiesta. We have been planning this trip for over a year now and it is finally here. I am not by any means a hot air balloon freak, I do however enjoy the silent mornings when you watch the ascension. My mom and I usually make a stop at the one here just by my house (this year it was cancelled due to bad weather). But this one is HUGE. Hundreds upon hundreds of balloons. It will be me, my parents and my grandparents. I am really excited, and looking forward to being away from the stresses at work. For now I will bid you adieu.

Tickle Me?

I love the new Tickle Me Elmo and I would love to have one. Although the problem is, they are selling them for $40!!!! I just could never bring myself to spend that much on something like that. I can only imagine what these will go for on Ebay once Christmas gets closer. In case you haven't seen it, check this out.

Birthday Trip

Okay, one more post tonight, and that is it, I promise. I am having a hard time right now. Every year for my birthday, I plan a trip... usually over my birthday although from time to time, it is just around my birthday... and usually by this point I have the whole thing booked, but here I am the middle of September (my birthday is Jan 7th), and I have not the slightest clue as to what I am going to do let alone having it booked. I would love a spa getaway... but they are SO EXPENSIVE. I have looked at a couple that I think I could swing. But then I think I would like to go on a cruise again (did for my 25th and had a blast), but I don't know... Then I think of all the places I would love to visit, NYC, Paris, Venice Italy... and they are all freezing cold in January. I am seriously thinking about sucking it up and maybe doing NYC anyway. Don't know though. Then again I could always visit my friends in Florida... but, that would be the same old thing I do all the time. Well, if you stumble upon my lonely little blog here and have any great ideas, let me know. I would like to keep airfare (from Denver), hotel and car rental (if necessary) under $1000. I will update when I know what I am going to do.

Get to Know Me

I have seen this on a bunch of blogs that I follow and thought I would add it to mine.
1. WHAT IS YOUR NAME: For the sake of anonimity I will just say...R..
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My parents middle names combined to make mine.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last weekend when I had to leave my friends behind in Florida.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Depends on what my mood is at the time.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Turkey
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I would hope so
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Not beyond this blog.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Rice Krispies or Apple Jacks
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Rarely
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I think I am average
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Black Cherry Vanilla
14. SHOE SIZE? 8
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I am such an introvert.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My second family, who live down in Florida
18. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Green pajama bottoms and bare feet
19. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? ceiling fan and the TV on in the other room.
20. WHERE IS THE ONE PLACE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE RIGHT NOW? Florida
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Yellow
22. FAVORITE SMELL? Anything tropical... coconut, pineapple, beach
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mom
24. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their smile
25. FAVORITE DRINK? Black Cherry Vanilla Coke
26. FAVORITE SPORT? Football, as a spectator
27. WHATS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Yellow
28. HAT SIZE? LG or XL... I have always had a big head and my mom never lets me forget it.
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
30. FAVORITE FOOD? BBQ
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings
32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? T-shirt sold as a fund raiser for the family of a guy I worked with after he passed suddenly.
33. SUMMER OR WINTER? Fall really but if these are my only choices, Winter
34. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
35. FAVORITE DESSERT? Ice Cream
36. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? Right now, just a stack of magazines I have been piling up lately.
37. WHAT'S ON THE MOUSE PAD? Mickey as the Sorecers Apprentice.
38. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Grey's Anatomy
39. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SOUNDS? Waves crashing on the beach or rain falling.
40. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Guam
41. WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIAL TALENTS? People always tell me I am blessed to have the patience to deal with 3 year olds in Sunday School all the time.
42 AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Denver
43. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? No one, just wanted to join in.
44. WHAT DAY IS IT? Monday
Now here's the scoop: You're supposed to let me know in the comments that you are going to respond on your blog, then I can read about you too! It's great to get to know people!

A Day at the Zoo

My mom and I teach Sunday School in our church. This weekend we were able to take two of the kids we had in our class at our old church to the zoo for the day. We had so much fun. Here are some pictures.




R & O with the Komodo Dragon...


R feeding the Lorikeet's. She had so much fun doing that.

I need a vacation from my vacation

Seriously... I am absolutely exhausted. But I had a blast too. No hurricane came our way. We did get rain everyday except Saturday. I got in late on Thursday evening and had to drive an hour and a half to where my friends live. It rained on the way there. On Friday, I went and picked up my friend D and her two kids, C and J, where they are living with D's MIL (hence the reason I was in a hotel). It was the first time I saw J (he's only 2 months old). He is a BIG BABY!!! He weighs 14 1/2 pounds... just half what his sister, who is 3 1/2, weighs. But he is a handsome little one. We went swimming at the pool at my hotel while it was raining. We went back to their place for dinner and then the four of us stayed at my hotel that night (D's hubby B was in Orlando visiting a college friend). On Saturday after B met us for breakfast before going to work, another friend of ours BJ came down with her two boys and we all went swimming and hung out in the hotel room. It was a lot of fun. The kids had a blast playing together and then were all tuckered out by dinner time. It was just D, B, C, J and myself for dinner... which we took to a park and ate so C could play. We all went home for the night. On Sunday, after church where I ran into some other friends, R and H, we went to dinner and B and D's house and then headed over to Daytona to the beach. It was a bit cloudy (still got burned though) and the waves were really big and rough because of Hurricaine Florence which was off the coast. Then we went to D's parents for dinner and to visit. I then got in my rental car and drove to Orlando where I stayed up entirely too late watching a movie and had to get up this morning at 8 to get ready to go to the airport to fly home. Here it is 7:30, I am at home, and I am ready to go to bed already... We missed the shuttle launch on Saturday but I had fun anyway. Here is my favorite photo from my trip...

Fun, Sun and .... Hurricanes?

Well, I am off to sunny Florida in the morning. Probably won't post while I am gone. I am carefully watching Tropical Storm Florence and hoping and praying she stays the course they are predicting and that no others develop and head toward Florida. I don't want my vacation to be wet and windy.





There is also a slight possibility that I may get a chance to watch the Atlantis shuttle launch while I am there. Although not likely. I saw one when I was a freshman in college down there and it was a night launch. It was really exhilirating to watch. If you ever get a chance to see a launch, take it... it will be an experience you will never forget.

Gesundheit

Now THAT'S funny!!!

Weekend of R&R

Well, the longest week finally ended. My parents and I had a nice steak dinner last night and walked out and it was cold and misty... not rainy but misty. This morning I woke up and it felt like it does in the winter time and it has snowed outside... but it was just because I had left my ceiling fan on all night so it was cold in my room. It has been cloudy all day. Not a lot of rain but enough so it feels like an early fall day before it's cold enough to snow. I would actually be ecstatic if it snowed but I think I would be crazy to expect it to actually snow. The local news website says it is only 57 out and the high is supposed to be 67, don't know if it will make it though. Sunday should be comfortable in the low 70s and Monday is described as "perfect" with a high of 80. I like the cold, cloudy, rainy days myself. I sometimes think I would love to live in Seattle but after a couple days of this, I usually crave a little sunshine. Plus the one time I was in Seattle, it rained only three times during the whole week and once was in the middle of the night. So I think I have a bit of as false perception of what it is like there.

Is it over yet?

I swear this has been one of the longest weeks ever. I feel like last weekend was ages ago. Of course it doesn't help that we have been really slow at work and therefore the work days drag on... Next week will be rough too. The whole 2 days I am working. After the long Labor Day weekend, I will work 2 days and then I am off to sunny Florida on Thursday to visit friends. They just had a baby on July 6th and I am soo excited to see him and his big sister. I saw them back in May before the baby. I will just hang there and visit... maybe go to the beach. Nothing too exciting like Disney or anything. I would love to do Disney but I am really broke right now. I just bought a new car a couple months ago. It's a 2006 Honda Civic and I LOVE IT!!!! The only thing is that means I now have car payments again, insurance went up a bit and now I have to go get my tags for it tomorrow. It's gonna hurt the pocketbook. But I have vacation to look forward to.

My Dreams

Well, as you can see from my links here, I am completely and totally intrigued with adoption. Specifically China adoption. I am not currently in the adoption process but I truly hope to be in the not too distant future. It will all depend on a few things falling in place. First, I want to buy a house. Then as soon as I have that covered, I can start to more seriously consider adoption. I have a strong pull toward China however, that may not be possible by the time I am ready. The Chinese government requires that an adoptive parent be at least 30... I am only 27, so I have a few years to wait. Right now there have been mumblings of China not allowing singles to adopt anymore so I may have to go in a different direction. Yes, I am single... some may ask why would I make the conscious decision to be a single parent. Trust me, I know that is a big deal. The thing is, I have always wanted to be two things in my life, a wife and a mother. Truthfully, the wife thing doesn't show a whole lot of promise right now. But just because that may never happen, I am not willing to give up my dream of being a mother quite yet. I drive down the street and imagine what it would be like to have a little girl in the back seat and singing with her... it seems so real. I know, I could wait a little longer and adopt a bit later in life... but I want to be a young mom, I want to be able to get down on the floor with them and play and run in the park with them. So eventually this may become my adoption blog but for the time being, it will be about my dreams and what my life really is.

A Reason to Smile

Visit From the Past

When I was a little kid we had a dear family friend who was here from Africa going to college. He had come to our church for worship and fellowship and that is how we met him. He lived here for a few years and he was a true part of our family. When he was finished with school, he returned home to Zaire (now known as the Congo). He eventually moved his family to South Africa. That was 25 years ago. He is still living in South Africa and we have seen him twice in the last 12 years. He was here in 1994 and he was here on Friday night.

It was great to see him and to talk to him. At the end of the night, we were saying our goodbyes and he invited me to come visit in South Africa sometime. I am actually very excited about the idea. It would be neat to travel to a different country and know someone who lives there. So for now, I am dreaming of traveling to South Africa....

I am here... for now

Well, I am going to give this a shot here. I had been using my blog on myspace but I am not that crazy about it. So I am going to give it a shot here. Maybe, if I keep this up, my blogs will become interesting and introspective... and then MAYBE someone will actually care to read them.