Friends at First Sight

Todd's family is currently spread out across 3 states and 3000 miles (round trip anyway)! But this week/weekend they are all in town at varying times...on Wednesday we met his brother Trent and family at Disney World. Taylyn, their daughter, and Tori hit it off immediately! It was so nice to see them just get along right off the bat. With a group of 12, being the only one who knew where I was going, and 4 other cameras snapping away I took very few pictures but here are a couple. Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride and Cincerella's Castle.

Running: Restarted

February is killing me. I had the stomach flu and then a cold that lasted forever and was really really miserable. Then I had 4 days worth of this crazy neck pain that must have come from some type of pulled muscle in which I could not turn nor bob my head in any fashion without wanting to scream in pain. Still slightly sore but WAY better. Then I managed to get a headache (maybe a caffeine withdrawal headache) that lasted like 4 days.

We are quickly approaching the end of the month and I am hoping for a healthy pain free end of the month and therefore the ability to restart my running attempts!

That being said - Day 1 begins tomorrow (almost dark now!)

Fresh Pics Daily

In my desire to make more time for things I enjoy and to become a better photographer I started a new blog - more for me than anything else but if you are interesting in checking it out go to Fresh Pics Daily. Pictures only - no words. I will still post family/event pics here but these are pictures I took for the sake of taking photos not to capture an event if that makes any sense.

Project Linus Quilts

Together, my mom and I made 6 quilts for Project Linus. Project Linus is a nonprofit organization that brings homemade blankets to children in the hospital. After I stopped sewing regularly for ebay I had TONS of leftover fabric. It has been so much fun to go through my stash and match peices together to make funky kids quilts. These are the ones for Project Linus but I will soon be listing a few on etsy.com as well!

Happiness Project Love Month

Okay so my Happiness Project is a little skewed as I am getting it kind of second hand but whatever - it makes me happy!

So this month the focus is on love...so here is my moment to love on a few things that make me happy.

- Family: My husband thinks I am beautiful and wonderful, is an awesome dad and is always there for me - what more could I ask for? My kids are fun and kind and generous and get along 90% of the time! My parents continue to be a supportive force in my life and my brother is one of my best friends.

- Friends: I am thankful for my best friend who could not be more UNLIKE me and yet is always always there. I am thankful for friends who are older and wiser than me and always there with words of encouragement. I am thankful for my younger friends that remind me I am not yet out of my twenties and sometimes I should live it up! I am thankful that I have a friend who has known me since I was just a teen and grown with me!

- Dog: Yes this is silly, but he warms my heart and makes me happy. I love how he always wants to cuddle and be held. I love that when I am having a bad day he seems to know that he needs to be right there with puppy kisses!

- Home: I dont mean my house. Its nice. But that's not it. I love that when I walk in at the end of the day that there is laughter here, and love, and warmth. That there is a sense of belonging you can never get at someone else's place no matter how welcome they make you feel.

- God: I screw up. Alot. I have hurt many people. I have been hurt many times. And yet God wraps me in his arms and calls me his child and tells me to rest in his warmth - and all is well with my soul. What could make a person happier than that?

Valentines Day

Tshirts from Grandma, Littlest Pet Shop & Star Wars Legos from us to the kids and pretty flowers (and pjs) from Todd!

Celebrating 84 years...

Nana's Birthday at Kobes!

Sick, sick and more sick.

Woke up last Tuesday morning without a voice. No big deal. By the end of the night I felt as though my throat had been lit on fire.

Wednesday I was off - yay! Laid in bed all day long watching the new 24 episodes I had missed all month...thought surely that would make it better.

Thursday - nope, not better, still had to work.
Friday - nope, not better, promised kids Disney and so we went. Slept 15 hrs, will surely be better in the morning.
Saturday - Still not better. Slept 12 hrs, will surely be better in the am.
Sunday - Nope.

This is ridiculous. This week is so busy and I have to work everyday this week and I. need. to. be. better. NOW!

On a totally separate note I would like to point out that I have decided women/wives/mothers accomplish more sick than husbands/men/dads do on their healthiest days. How does that work?

Ahoy Matey

Gasparilla Kids Parade January 2010 with Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Taylor (we were in San Fran, just got pictures)

Happiness Project Month 1: Energy Boost

So according to the writer in month 1 she set certain goals and pursued them to see if they would in fact make her happier. So here's the goals she put forward and my comments on how my January actually coincided with these goals...

1. Go to sleep earlier
2. Exercise better
3. Toss, restore, organize
4. Tackle a nagging task
5. Act more energetic

1 - Nope. The kids go to bed at 8:30. I work for another hour or to on laundry, returning emails, getting stuff ready for next day, picking up living room, etc. Then I need to unwind. So I stay up reading or watching tv or just hanging out with Todd and the next thing ya know - bam - its midnight. And then I lay there with a running list in my head because I am not the girl whose head hits the pillow and shes out. So 12:30 or so I fall asleep...which would not be so bad except my alarm goes off at 5:30 most mornings. Mission: Failed. Goal: Work on it - more sleep sounds good!

2 - Nope. Lets see horrible stomach flu followed by a week of vacation and a week of catching up from said vacation and a week of sick kids. Did not go well. Mission: Failed. Goal - Work on it - Have an exercise date Tues morning, partners are a beautiful thing when working out!

3 - Yep. The reality that we could have had to move in a month hit hard and fast - so I am a lot more organized and a lot of crap got tossed this month. Unfortunately the move is off but the current place looks better! Mission: Success. Goal - Attic next!

4 - Yep. I cleaned out my pantry. This is like the nightmare of all nightmares in our house, things go in and never come out. So now its clean, and cans are lined up. And there is new tupperware. Mission: Momentary but happiness still achieved. I love organization.

5 - Eh. I work in a psych ward. It is my job, literally, to be positive and empathetic and understanding. To encourage people. So I do. Sometimes this means patients and sometimes this means coworkers. Then I come home and it is my job to encourage and support my kids and husband and so I do. I have moments, mostly with Todd, in which I am tired and crabby so...Mission: Mostly achieved. Goal - who could not use more energy? To me energy is positive - negative energy - I call that something else. So yeah more would be good, but I think in general it works.

January Happiness - I got to take a break from real life with Todd, that was wonderful. My kids are doing awesome in school. We are living comfortably. All make me happy. Losing the house we loved - kind of tough but life goes on. Sickness - yucky. Rain - yucky. Work - stressful right now, lots of changes/understaffing. Nothing that will not pass - the sun will shine soon, we will find the right house, the sickness usually clears with the weather and work will hire people and all will be well.

Max Moment

Sometimes my furry baby should make an appearance too - looking all sweet with his bandana after a morning at the groomer.

SF Pictures

Tried to make a video - but youtube hates me so here are a few pictures!

4:45 AM Tampa International Airport - let the fun begin! (of course this was after a night of being up until 3 AM with Tori who had the stomach flu)

The Golden Gate Bridge, taken on our way out of San Fran to Napa Valley.

At the V.Sattui Winery in Napa Valley, CA. They also had an amazing deli and delicious fudge!

The view from Alcatraz Island! It was so windy but really pretty.

Todd in front of the Alcatraz Social Club, it had burnt down to what you see here but when the island was run as a federal prison and before that as a fort, this was the gathering place for military officers and later guards and their families, most of whom lived right on the island!

Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf - those floating docks are usually covered with sea lions but due to cold weather many migrated to Southern California this year - these few caused a lot of noise and stink, cannot imagine what it's like when they are all there!

On the infamous San Francisco Cable Car - they are neat but REALLY loud.

Union Square statue - seemed like the perfect place to take an anniversary picture to go in my souvenir picture frame. Cheesy but a good memory!

House: Update

The seller felt he was unable to come down any further despite that it needs a new roof immediately. We decided it was not worth that much more than we had already offered. Contract canceled.

In all honesty I am pretty bummed. Really like the house. LOVED the neighborhood. But I also believe that we did the right thing and that the right house is out there for us.