Blissfully Unaware of the Chaos that Surrounds Me

Moving On . . .

My Mom just emailed me some great pictures . . . some of my almost-93 year old Gram from her fishing trip this weekend.  Gotta love that!

Pretty dang cute, aren't they?

She also sent me a couple that I took with her camera a few weeks ago of the little miss:

That girl could live on ice cream!

Anyway . . . my afternoon was fileld with reading, Barbies, marbles, Peter Pan and Nilla wafers.  So although I'm still kinda pissy (and rightfully so, if you ask me), I'm trying . . . really, tangibly trying to let it go.  "Breathe in, breathe it out" kinda shit.

I only have one more child to get to bed and thankfully, he pretty much gets himself to bed . . . then it's Army Wives in my bed for me.

Struggling . . .

with the 'ole blog.

When I started to blog waaaaay back at the end of 2005, it was the first time I'd ever been able to successfully "journal".  I'd never been able to journal more than a few times in a traditional diary or journal before i'd love interest and give up.  I still have some random thoughts written down from as far back as junior high.  What I found, however, was that I could almost always write down the negative, and didn't take the time to journal the good stuff.  Thus, I began my blog.  With a focus on recording the positive as well as the real stuff.

And here I am, 3 years and 9 months later . . . struggling with keeping it positive and real at the same time. 

The problem is, once it's written and published?  It's there.  There for all to see.  And so on days like today, when I'm frustrated and hurt and defensive and all together, pissed off?  I am slow to type.  This is a good thing, I know.

But what to do with the frustration, hurt and pissed-off-ness? 

Ahhhh, Sunday . . .

I love Sunday mornings.  I love to be back in the swing of getting ourselves to church (which happens rarely in the summer).  I love our church family. 

But . . . I do not love that Monday is coming so very quickly!

I realized that our summer was very much like a looooonnnnnggggg weekend.  Which is a good thing!  Sadly, however, reality is back.  Reality such as me needing to be in Redding at 8:00 am tomorrow morning.  And John being gone on an Air Force mission.  So that's going to be a bang-up start to our week!  Thank goodness for the fabulous friends and babysitters that we have, is all I can say about that!

Speaking of school, I did force Dylan to undergo the annual ritual of first day pictures.  He loves it.  Not.  But seriously look at this handsome young man.  Young.  Man. 

(All of the photos that I took that morning are blurry.  My telephoto and holding a wiggly Halle just don't jive!)

And now, I have got to finish a few things around here.  I'm throwing together a last minute yard sale for next weekend and I am determined to clear some crap lovely items out of here!

Privacy, Please . . .

Halle is no longer allowed to be in the bathroom with me when I get on the scale. 

Yesterday she walked into the bathroom, hopped on the scale and shouted "shit!" before stepping off.

Shouldn't the Return of School . . .

equal more time to blog?  Um, apparently not!  It's been a crazy week.  Made even crazier by my constantly swinging moods.  I seemingly need to eat more than 1200 calories a day to be nice.  And since I'm eating between 1,100 and 1,200?  It doesn't push me into the "nice" zone.  Oddly, if I eat more than 1,200 calories?  I don't lose anything.  Zippo.  Nada.

So I'm crabby and hungry.  Thus, not blogging.  (Sorry about that.)

6 of 6 . . .

My friend, Liz, tagged me last week to post my 6th photo, from my 6th photo-album on my system.  I had a nice and witty post all done, and it all went "poof!" as I tried to publish.  Every once in a while, typepad doesn't like me to link other sites.  Mostly when there is a photo involved in the post it seems.  So I'm going to try again.  Without a link to her blog.  Google "Daisy Creek Designs" and you'll find her though.  Thanks and sorry, Liz!

This is actually, my 6th photo, in my 6th folder . . . in my 6th folder.  Because I'm crazy organized with the photo files and a little whacked . . . all at the same time!

This is how Dylan taught Halle how to crawl.  By kidnapping her doll and tormenting her with it on the remote-control car until she finally went for it.  (And he wonders why she enjoys tormenting him now?)

Last Week of Summer . . .

or of summer vacation, anyway!  How does it go so quickly?  I'm ready in some regard, but not really.  I'd be all over a nice three day week . . . school on Tuesday-Thursday, from 10-4.  That would work out perfectly for us!  (Obviously, no one asked me how to schedule the school calendar!)

Dylan had his last flag football game this morning, which they won 18-10.  He scored the first touchdown and got in on some of the action.  His buddy Josh also had a great game, which is such a nice way to end the season!  Fall basketball evaluations are next week, so we'll have a couple of weeks off and then onto another schedule of practices and games!

John is gone for the weekend.  He's up in Alaska, actually.  I'm not 100% certain as to the purpose of this flight/training/mission, but he's reported ont wo great restaurants already.  Glad that the eating is good!

My eating, however, is blah.  Week Two of Jenny Craig started yesterday.  I'm slowly getting used to it.  Or as used to 1200 calories a day as I think I'll ever be.  I'm learning what meals are OK and which are completely disgusting.  I'm also learning that the dessert included in it is saving me.  I simply have a ridiculous sweet tooth.  I can eat vegetables and fruits til the cows come home, but I still want to finish it off with something yummy.  And while the cakes aren't fabulous, they're good enough.  And good enough is where I'm sitting at the moment.  Four pounds down in one week.  I'll take it.

Halle-boo is doing just great.  She's still a stinker, to be sure, but she's an active, smart, talkative stinker!  She's eating yogurt like it's going out of style.  She's also talking, non-stop, about our upcoming Disneyland trip.  She keeps us on our toes, for certain.

My BFF is coming into town for a quick visit, so I am looking forward to spending time with her.  That being said, I need an excuse to get off my lazy butt and clean the bathroom.  So I'm going to do that.  It's all for you, KJ!

Enjoy your weekend!

A Quick Layout . . .

from Family Camp:

Another Shutterfly Book . . .

done and on it's way!  I can barely wait to hold it, as silly as that sounds.  Each time I finish one of these, I get incredibly motivated to do another.  If you haven't actually seen and held one of these books?  I would strongly encourage you to look into them.  They are truly like a personalized yearbook - with yours truly as Editor/Photographer/Designer.

Anyway . . . although it's a beautiful day, I've been working on layouts for a Family Scrapbook and Halle's baby book.  All because I managed to get this one done:

Click here to view this photo book larger

Enjoy!

Random Bits . . .

of goodness.

First, I miss my husband.  He just left this morning, but I'm wishing he was here.  Instead, he's apparently going to be flitting around with some influential woman for some military thing or another.  (I'm being purposefully vague, but even that will probably get me into trouble.)  Anyway, if any one of you influential women happen to be reading this?  I know he's hot.  Especially in that uniform.  Go ahead and look.  Enjoy.  Just remember who he comes home to :)  (Hey, babe . . . make sure to wear your flight suit home, OK?)

This week?  Flew by.  Work is INSANE.  Weirdly insane.  Not just the normal kind.  This was also the week that Dylan decided to be lazy and enjoy the last parts of summer.  No play-dates.  No fantastic outings.  Just lots of Legos, Roblox and Age of Empires.  Which all apparently equal a good time in his book.

Camping last weekend?  Good times.  It was hot when we got there on Thursday, but it cooled down over the next few days.  We spent time out on the lake, visiting with friends - old and new, burning things in the campfire (the boys) and simply enjoying the time away.  Halle was amazing.  She was all about the dirt.  But she had fun and was pretty easy to hang with.  Dylan, as always, was easy and fun :)

Disneyland is just five weeks away.  I keep reading about how crowded it is this week and am so glad that we're going in September instead of the summer.  So, so glad!

Jenny Craig.  Or "Sister Jenny" as my friend Mindy calls it.  I joined today.  I have been stuck/in total denial/beyond all help with WW.  So although I don't believe in diets, per se, I just paid some big $$$ for some crap food.  But I'm going to try it for eight weeks (less Disneyland) and see how I do.  It's easy (although not so yummy, and controlled).  And that seems to be where I am lacking.  I'd like to dump 12 pounds over the next eight weeks (including Disneyland :)).  My official goal with my good friend Keri is 10 pounds in 6 weeks.  Wish me well and don't buy me any Oreo Cakesters (Tricia).

Drama.  Well, there was some.  Involving a former friend.  And now I'm over it.  Nothing to see here . . . moving on.

Next week is Dylan's last week before school starts back up.  We're planning a water-park trip and a movie and maybe even some bowling.  Whew! 

My BFF (of almost 20 years) is coming for a quick visit next weekend.  I.  Am.  Excited.  Hurry home, KJ!

I watched a friend walk through some nasty custody/support/mediation issues this week and it took me back to the heinous ugliness that Dylan's bio-dad put us through.  Although it was by and far the hardest thing I've ever been through?  It taught me more about faith and trust than anything else I've ever walked through.  As I was praying over her?  I felt so clearly the protection and peace that God had given to me eight years ago.  Wow.  Eight years ago.  Crazy!

I have a funky rash/bite/weird thing on my lower back.  And I can't see it well enough to self-diagnose.  So I took a 1/2 a Benadryll.  Which means I'm getting very woozy :)

And did I tell you about my belly button?  How my former piercing site kept getting all nasty and stuff?  So they punch-biopsied it on Monday, in an attempt to get rid of the cyst-track that had formed.  We won't know for a while if it worked, but I would like to point out that I am sick-to-death of these sutures.  Which come out this Monday.  Unless I take them out sooner.  Ew.

With that, the Benadryll has taken over and I am outta here!