Creating More... YAY!

It's nice to have time to scrap lately. And *that* is awesome, since Studio Calico's May kit (plus this add-on) is one of my faves EVER! I don't ever want to put it away... LOL. Though, I've realized that I'm happier when I do simple, quick pages. For some reason, I have ADD when I scrap. LOL.

I channeled my inner-Caroline for the strips on this one... ;-)

This next page took me WAY longer than it should have, and I was glad when it was over. LOL. Jeremy works A LOT, and he's been so tired. Poor guy. :-(

Mmm... quick and clean and simple. :-)

This last layout makes me so happy! This is me (and my aunt, Joy) in 1982. The photos my dad took that day are some of my favorite photos ever.

That's it for now. I'll have more to share soon. And I think it's about time I took photos of my new scrap room... LOL. :-p

Confessing Reality.

A while ago, Kelly and Steph both did posts about their "real" lives. Oh, it felt SO good to read these! I feel like this too... I really hope my life never looks perfect... because it SO is not. LOL. And it's funny we do read the scrappy lives of one another, thinking that may be perfect when so many of these people's lives are, in fact, *not* so glamorous.

Steph encouraged everyone to do a list of their own. *sigh* Here's mine...

1. On a lot of days that I don't do errands, I stay in my PJs all day... no makeup, wearing my glasses, a few naps, and IMing with Caroline from the time we wake up, till the time we go to sleep. LOL. (Though I should say, that we do *try* to be productive while chatting... ie scrapping, putting a load of laundry in, making food, possibly washing some dishes, and walking the dogs.)

2. My scrap table/workspace is almost always clean. The floor, however, is not...

3. Sometimes Jeremy has to spend the night in Waco, for work. I usually stay up till 2am, sometimes 4am, not being able to sleep and worrying about his safety. Neither of us sleep well and barely get more than four hours of sleep. I know that military wives endure WAY more than this, and I'm so blessed to have Jeremy home most nights, but we still hate these long nights.

4. When my dog, Ruby, gets scared (thunder, lightning, quarry blasts, rain, blender, etc)... it literally scares the pee and poop right out of her. I have had to clean up *a lot* of pee stains. LOL. We own quite a few doggy diapers.

5. I'm sick and weak almost every, single day. I have to sleep... a lot. After working out, doing errands, or hanging with friends, I need a day or two to rest. I hate that I'm unable to work or go to school. Confession: I've been like this pretty much my whole life.

6. We have a lot of credit card debt now. And now that I'm not working, I'm trying to spend as little money as possible, so that we can pay as much as we can toward the debt. It's hard for both of us.

7. I'm not *always* positive and optimistic. I worry. I get anxious. I get scared. I get lonely. I cry.

8. Jeremy works 50-80 hours a week, and I feel bad for him.

I hope that didn't sound like a bunch of complaining. LOL. But it's real. And that's the point, I guess. To be real. :-)

Thanks for reading my real-ness. :-)

Couponning Can Be Fun!

So... my sister is obsessed with the Krazy Coupon Lady. And I wanted to get in on the money-saving action too, so I thought I'd take up some couponning. :-)

My sister has a binder, and I made this to slide in the front cover's pocket:

(Papers/Thickers: American Crafts, Alpha Stickers: Doodlebug, Lady: Studio Calico)

How cute is that Studio Calico lady?! So perfect with her little purse! :-) (When I showed my sister, she said, "Oh! This is SO cute! And I LOVE her dress!" Tee hee.) Now I just need to make a label for the spine and some cute page for the back cover. :-) Yay! She'll have the cutest coupon binder ever. :-)

And I don't need a whole binder, but I did need a few pockets for my planner! I didn't really want to pay $12 for their pockets (though cute and handy!). I knew if I made my own they'd be WAY cuter and... you know... free! ;-)

In each pack of refills (notebook paper, calendar pages, etc) come some chipboard sheets to use to divide your planner (or maybe they just put those in there, so the pages don't get bent in the packaging.... LOL). Either way, they were perfect (with the holes already there)! I just needed to add a strip of paper to make a pocket and some cute details!

Papers/FabRips: Studio Calico, Alphas: October Afternoon, Border Punch: Fiskars
Butterfly punch (punched with Little Yellow Bicycle paper): Martha Stewart

I'll probably make two more for grocery coupons and Target too. Heeee! :-D

Do you have a special place for your coupons (if you use them) and receipts? I love to hear how people organize these types of things. :-)

Forgetting Breakfast and Lunch.

This guy...



Yeah, that one right there! Just in case, you couldn't tell by this photo, he is silly. Very silly.

He came home from work today, and he was a little hyper. Okay, a lot hyper. This surprised me quite a bit because he left the house this morning at 7 am... without me making him his usual breakfast and sack lunch. He arrived home at about 8:15 pm. A LONG day.

His hyper-activity was still going strong at around 9 when we sat down for a late dinner. Here's what went down.

Jeremy: I just ate TWO pieces of chicken! And rice! And green beans!

Reyanna: Two?! (These were HUGE chicken breasts!) Wow, you were hungry! Did you not eat lunch?

Jeremy: Umm... well, I only ate one of the sandwiches I made.

Reyanna: What kind was it?

Jeremy: Ummm... errr.... uhhh... Nutella and jelly sandwich. It was REALLY sweet!

Reyanna: Umm... yeah! That's almost pure sugar between bread! Silly! You're supposed to have Nutella and peanut butter or peanut butter and jelly!

Jeremy: Yeah, I couldn't remember, and I didn't want to wake you up this morning. And then as I was eating my sandwich, I thought, "Whoa! This is sweet! OH! I bet I was supposed to put *peanut butter* with the Nutella! NOT jelly!"

Reyanna: Holy cow! Did you eat anything else?

Jeremy: I bought some candy because this convenient store was having a special: 50% off! So I bought four packages of sour gummy candy.

Reyanna: So... all you ate all day was a Nutella and jelly sandwich and four packages of sour gummy candy? Did you drink some water with that?

Jeremy: No, I had Gatorade! That's good, right?!

Reyanna: *laughing* Umm... honey, Gatorade is almost pure sugar!

Jeremy: Maybe it was PowerAde...

Reyanna: Still has sugar. Sheesh! No wonder you're so hyper! Man, you're gonna crash in about an hour! *laugh*

Jeremy: Oops.

Tee hee. So yeah. That's what happens when I'm too tired to wake up to make him breakfast and lunch.

Yes, I learned my lesson. Yes, I will be going to bed at a reasonable hour and waking up early to make breakfast and lunch for my Silly Mister.

Yes, I'm still giggling at his silliness.

Good thing he's cute. :-)

Pondering 28 Things.

So... with April's Studio Calico kit, I decided to make a mini album. I didn't really know what I was making it *about*; I just really wanted to make a mini album. Tee hee. And I wanted it to be journaling *only* because I wanted to use my journaling stamp lots and lots... and lots. Ha! (Okay, and I really wanted to use the new Studio Calico rub-ons! EEE!)

This is the front:

The inside is simple, colorful, and has spaces for journaling (thanks to the awesome stamp, a trimmer and my trusty corner rounder...) and one photo of me in my super-cool "28" shirt! ;-) So now I just need to come up with the 28 things. *sigh*

I can't believe my 28th year is almost over! It's gone by so quickly! But Jeremy says I can still say I'm 28 if I want. I can just say, "I'm 28! .... plus one (or you know, plus twelve... whatever)." Tee hee.

Otay, umm... let's see...

1. I live on PB sandwiches, quesadillas, chocolate milk, french fries and iced tea.

2. For the first time in my life, I LOVE my wardrobe!

3. I feel like a mom already... without a baby. Some day... :-D

4. Creating makes me very giddy.

5. I NEVER leave home without water or lip stuff.

6. I don't like spending a lot of time online.

7. I watch Friends, Love Actually, 50 First Dates, and You've Got Mail WAY too much. :-)

8. I need a nap every day, or my body just doesn't work.

9. I never thought I'd be childless and jobless at this age, but I'm learning to be okay with that... for now. ;-)

10. I LOVE Texas weather!

11. I listen to Christian music, Glee soundtracks, and a single playlist I made on iTunes. That's about it.

12. I can't sleep without earplugs... or Jeremy. ;-)

13. I promised myself I wouldn't choose my children's names before they were born, but I have already... tee hee.

14. People usually think I look 20.

15. I LOVE our pets (Ruby, Amber and Kissa). They make me so happy. :-)

16. I miss coaching gymnastics, but I don't want to go back. LOL.

17. My house is VERY organized.

18. I LOVE the color blue (in all shades).

19. My other favorite colors are green, peach, and yellow. And white! Does that count?

20. When I don't get to spend a lot of time with Jeremy, I get cranky. :-p

21. I can still hold a handstand.

22. I think too much. About everything.

23. I still love dolls and stuffed animals. I'd probably buy lots if Jeremy didn't stop me.

24. I talk on the phone. A lot.

25. I'm still in shock that we own a house.

26. I spend a lot of time with Elizabeth... as much as I can! :-D

27. I LOVE talking to my grandparents.

28. I want to be 28 forever.

Okay. Perhaps I'll change a few, but for now, this looks good to me. :-) Now I'll have to write them in my mini, so I can post inside pics. Yay. :-)

Have you made *your* list this year? :-D

Finding (and Creating) the Perfect Nightstand.

So when we bought our house, we bought a new bed (before we even moved in, and we put it on hold at the store)...
because... well, we hadn't slept on a bed (our mattress was on the floor) since 2005. And now that we actually had *room* for a bed (YAY!), I wanted my dream bed: King sized, four-poster, canopy bed... in white. :-) Thankfully, Jeremy was totally stoked on it as much as I was! Hee!

And then since I had the perfect bed, I needed the perfect nightstand to match our perfect quilt (both sides A and B)...
And I just didn't want any ole nightstand! I wanted one drawer (preferably two) AND a shelf on the bottom. AND it had to have character. And be cute too. :-) I looked EVERYWHERE: Online, thrift stores, furniture stores, antique stores, flea markets, Craigslist. I didn't find one I loved. And even ones that I sorta liked were out of my price range (under $100, which I think is reasonable).

So one day, I'm driving home from work. I turn on to my street (my old street of the apartment, not the new street of the house), and I see this beautiful and perfectly fabulous (with potential, of course) nightstand laying on the side of the road...

My reflexes couldn't have been faster! I pulled over, hopped out, threw it in the back, and drove away. Tee hee.

But as I'm driving, I'm thinking, "Holy crap! I just threw something... that I found on the side of the road, no less... in the back of my car and drove off like a lunatic like I was robbing a bank! It could have a bomb! Or... or... a freaky animal! Or poisonous spiders! Or drugs!" I floored it back to the apartment... petrified that it could be one... or all... of those things.

I was probably trembling as I slowly and cautiously opened the top drawer...

Turns out, it *did* have something horrible in it. Well, something naughty (at least, in my eyes). I'm guessing someone's girlfriend got pissed that her boyfriend had naughty stuff, so took matters into her own hands... or something. Tee hee. I packed up all that... umm... adult stuff... and put it in a black trash bag and promptly threw it in my dumpster. HA! Take that, Naked Ladies! :-p

Then I got to work! First, I primed it...


Then I painted it with leftover paint from my closet renovation (Green Wisp by Benjamin Moore). Then I got two knobs from Anthropologie (would you believe some of their knobs are cheaper than Home Depot?!?!), and oh my, every time I walk in our room and see this, I'm totally stoked that it's mine! :-D

It's greener in real life. Huh. Strange. Ah well. You can click on it to make it larger. :-)

The box on top is an altered project I did a few months ago (it's for trash). The boxes on the shelf are boxes I altered (with Basic Grey Sweet Pea papers from LONG ago). The frame was Christmas gift from my in-laws. And the lamp I bought in Rhode Island at an antique store, but it's not an antique! LOL. And I'm actually going to move that lamp into the guest room, I think, and we'll get swing-arm lamps instead... maybe.

For our next renovation/DIY project, we're painting and making over hubby's grandparents' old China cabinet:



Stay tuned for that! I bought the new hardware today, and we just need to finish painting! EEEE! I LOVE projects! :-D

Creating. Mmm... Creating is Therapy.

This month's Studio Calico kit?

Is GORGEOUS. It just may be pure perfection in a box. I'm just sayin... ;-)

Thank goodness this kit is all cozy and warm like a blanket. I'm not gonna lie... since quitting my job, I've been kinda down about it. But trying not to get *too* down, so on with creating! :-D

I had so much fun making this layout! I used the negative of the October Afternoon journaling cards, and I was totally inspired by Paige to bust out my VersaMark ink pad that I haven't used in ages!

I love that this design left open THREE spots for my journaling. I just really had a lot to say. And I when people see this photo and layout, I want them to know what I think of when I see this photo of myself, my mom and both my grandmothers. And that's exactly what I wrote down. :-)





Tomorrow, I'll show my Before & After shots of my awesome Nightstand Makeover! You won't wanna miss it!

p.s. Products used on this layout...
Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Patterned Papers: October Afternoon, Studio Calico
Flowers: American Crafts, K&Company
Buttons/Stamps/Baker's Twine: Studio Calico
Chipboard Cloud: Buzz & Bloom
Alphabets: Making Memories, October Afternoon
Kit: Studio Calico
Stamping Ink: VersaMark
Pen: Copic

Sharing a Journaling Challenge!

(Papers/Thickers: American Crafts, Bee: hand-drawn, Markers/Pens: Copic,
Baker's Twine: Studio Calico, Photo Label Punch: EK Success)

A new challenge is up over at Journal Challenges! Yay! This one is really fun... Humour! Or "Humor" if you live in the States, which I do, but using the "ou" is just so much fun! :-)

Here's my journaling:

Jeremy: I’m a bee! I’m a bee! I’m a - I’m a - I’m a bee!

Me: You’re a BEE?!

Jeremy: No... I’m a bee! It’s a song by the Black Eyed Peas!

Me: Hmmm... Why are the Black Eyed Peas singing about being bees?

Jeremy (laughing at me): No, they’re not singing about being bees.
They’re singing, “Imma be,” as in, “I’m gonna be...” Get it?

Me: Oh. Okay. Huh. I’ve never heard that song.

Jeremy: No? Imma be! Imma be! Imma - Imma - Imma be!

Me: I guess I need to get out more. :-)

Okay, that's all for today. I'm really busy cleaning and organizing and decorating and just enjoying all my new-found time! :-D

Altering Is SO Fun!

*sigh*

I love to alter stuff. LOVE it. I haven't done it in a while, but now, I'm totally in the *altering mood*! :-D

I got this box at a thrift store... I'm pretty sure it was $0.79 (that's what the price-tag on the bottom said... LOL.) It was totally falling apart, and honestly, I can't believe I didn't alter it sooner. I think it's because the original color/design matched my former blue, shabby chic scrap room. And the fact that it was falling apart was just driving me NUTS! I couldn't take it anymore...


And it was VERY hard for me to cover up this cute old woman's writing:

I mean, how cute is that?! She kept her long nylons in here! ;-) I figured a photo would suffice because I REALLY wanted it to be adorned with October Afternoon paper. :-D

And the after shots...

(Paper: October Afternoon, FabRips: Studio Calico, Flower: Creative Imaginations, Brad: Pink Paislee)

Yummy. :-) Pure blue, green and white loveliness.

I've said it before, but Studio Calico FabRips are PERFECT for altering stuff! Seriously! I've used those for this box, a canister, a journal, scrap pages.... probably something else too, and I LOVE them.

I keep cards I make in this box. They collect in there until I have a big stack to send to my mother-in-law. She loves cards. :-) There are also a few in there that *I* need to send out... LOL.

More altering to come... ;-) Thanks for stopping by!

Leaving Something (Special) Behind.

I quit my job yesterday.

It's bittersweet, really.

Those of you who know me know that I LOVED my job. LOVED it. It was so perfect for me, and every time I was there, it felt like Christmas. Christmas for two years. LOL. I'd be having a bad morning/afternoon, and my mom would say to me, "Don't worry! You'll get to work and feel MUCH better! And when you get off work today, you'll be in a MUCH better mood." And you know, I knew she was right... every.single.time. Not many people can say that about their jobs. I absolutely LOVED being there.

I hate to say it, but I quit for "health reasons." I just couldn't handle them counting on me anymore... knowing that I might be too sick to work. And I found myself resting during every hour I *wasn't* at work, preparing myself for the next shift, so that I could give 150%: my perky, positive, upbeat self. That's not a life, and this *will* be a good thing. It will be. It's the best for me. For us. And I just have to keep telling myself that when I'm missing work.

It's okay though! Jeremy (hubby) has been encouraging me to do this for MONTHS now. We want to have a baby, I want to be a stay-at-home Mom, I want to homeschool, I want to go to church on Sundays, I want to spend more time with Jeremy, we want to travel more, and I want to open an Etsy shop (EEEEEE!). And I want to take care of my husband: cooking, cleaning, doing errands, etc. I *enjoy* that. And I can still go back and visit my awesome co-workers.

And I can still help people organize outside of work, right?!

So yeah... if you have ANY organizational dilemmas (scrappy or otherwise), please don't hesitate to drop me an email or post. I would LOVE to help you. I actually think I'll do a "series" of organizational videos on YouTube. And now, I have plenty of time on my hands to rest, be well, and help people out with organizing!

Thanks for listening to me babble. I just needed to vent about it.

*sigh*

I feel better.

p.s. I don't usually copy and paste blog posts, but this was actually a forum post I wrote. It said everything I needed to say, everything I'm feeling, so I decided to post it here too... so I could look back and remember.

Talking? No, thank you.

I'm taking a vow of silence. Okay, not really. But kinda...

Let the vocal rest commence.

So... I've been on vocal rest for the past... umm... okay, only 90 minutes. But guess what?! I already am feeling better!

The doctor now thinks my breathing problems are stemming from dysfunctional vocal cords (not letting me breathe properly) and causing my cough to be worse (and why I can't stay well for more than a few months). She said that if I give my voice a rest, she thinks I'll feel MUCH better.

Now, for those of you who know me, this is no easy feat. ;-) But darn it, coughing so much has given me too much pain and stuff, so I'm willing to try ANYTHING! Bad news though... if this *does* end up helping, it means I'll have to take *more* vocal rests in the future. *sigh*

Well, you know... maybe it's God's way of telling me to finally be quiet! ;-) Or maybe this really is a sign that I need to become a sign language interpreter (something that I've really been wanting to do for the past 12 years)... ;-)

Or maybe, I just need a break...

Thanks for listening to me ramble! Please let me know if you stopped by... being online is my only method of communication right now! :-D

Sharing My Purse Contents!

Well, I'm still sick. But I went to the doctor, and it turns out I have Ulcerative Pharyngitis (Read: ulcers in the back of my mouth). OUCH! I was going to post a photo, but then I was like, "Ew. Nobody wants to see grossness." So you can Google it if you're curious. LOL. :-p

So since I'm just lounging around in my pajamas, I thought I'd take a photo of what's in my purse. I'd seen a bunch of people do this, and I was intrigued. And then Paige did it, and I was very inspired. So here it is...


1. My Russell & Hazel day planner. Love, LOVE this planner! It's 3-ring, so I can add or take away anything. I love that I can add note paper and a calendar and room for phone numbers and other cool stuff. I also added a pen loop (from The Container Store) to the inside, so it doesn't stick out. :-)

2. My Vera Bradley All-In-One Wristlet wallet (shown here in Hope Garden). The front holds my driver's license and debit card. The back has a pouch for my cell phone. It zippers open for card slots and a coin pouch. It's the best wallet ever because I can just grab it and hook my keys to the loop if I want to leave my purse in the car!

3. Eco-Lips - Mint. I'm not going to call it Chapstick because technically, it's made by Eco-Lips. :-p This cute little sleeve stays attached to my wallet, so I have it with me AT.ALL.TIMES. :-D (Note: I, technically, edited the contents of my purse. There were THREE other lip moisturizers in there! LOL! One can never have enough, I suppose.)

4. Water Bottle. I HAVE to have one. HAVE TO. ALWAYS. It's either Reduce or Nalgene. I never leave home without water.

5. Cell Phone. It's small. And almost 2 years old. I don't have a smart phone. I don't need one. I like this one for three reasons: 1. It's small. 2. It's blue. 3. It's Samsung. I heart Samsung phones. :-)

6. Throat drops. I'm addicted to Sugar-Free Halls throat drops. Really. I've talked to my dentist and doctor about this, and they're just fine with it as long as they're sugar-free. Tee hee. :-p

7. My ID card to The Container Store.

8. My inhaler. Just in cases. ;-) (If you think I added that "s" on accident, you would be wrong. See this movie if you don't know what I'm talking about. :-)

9. A cereal bar. Umm... I always need a snack, and gluten-free cereal bars are SO easy to just throw in my purse! It's ALWAYS changing. There are so many out there, and I like to mix it up!

10. Mints. Never gum. Ew. I hate gum. But I love these mints. Ice Breakers Sugar-Free Wintergreen. Yum. I also LOVE Wintergreen Tic-Tacs! (I also keep a pack of mints in my apron at work... LOL.)

11. Sunglasses. My pupils are always dilated, so I have to wear sunglasses all the time. Sometimes, I even have to wear them inside. So silly, I know. :-p

p.s. Most times, I also have this little reusable bag in there. It wasn't in there today because I just used it, and I haven't emptied it yet. Tee hee. Sometimes I'll throw my camera into my purse too! And sometimes, I will leave my planner at home... on purpose. ;-)

And that's all. I have a separate purse when I go to work. My purse I bring to work is large enough to hold a 32 oz. water bottle, plus my lunch and other necessities when I'm gone from the house for a while. That's a post for another day. It's RIDICULOUS how much stuff I carry in there. But I like to be prepared!

And what's in YOUR purse?! :-D

Suffering.

I'm a sickie.

Jeremy was sick for two weeks. I was shocked I hadn't caught it. Turns out, it was just waiting for my parents to arrive. Hmph.

Ah well. At least I was well for the first half of their visit. :-) They're on their way back to Colorado now. We had a great time. The time flew by much too quickly.

And now, I'm going back to bed. And I'll probably go to the doctor today. I think I may need some anti-biotics.

Being sick... is ew. But as Jeremy says...

"It's great being sick! I like it! It makes you appreciate how good you feel when you're not sick!"

We're meant to be. :-)

Awaiting the Arrival...

... of my parents! Ha! Gotcha, yes?! ;-)


They are driving from Colorado, and they will be here in just a few short hours! AHHHHH! I haven't seen them in nine months (man! I could have had a baby in that time! LOL!), and they've NEVER been to Texas.

I'm BEYOND excited for them to visit this place. And see our new house too. So... I will probably be gone for a week... away from the online world... having LOTS of fun and eating LOTS of good food in Austin. :-D

Stepping Back Into Blogging.

Three weeks?! Can that be right?! I haven't blogged in THREE weeks! ACK! Okay, so a run-down of what's been going on in my life...

1. I actually haven't scrapped at all, but I've been doing other projects around the house... painting, altering, organizing. It's great! And coming along well. This is my new trash container for on top of my nightstand. Hey, if it's going to be on your nightstand it's gotta be CUTE!

I got it on clearance at Ross (because the top had broken off, and there was a hole). It was $2. I spray painted it this antique white, and then I drilled a hole through the top, and added this Anthro drawer knob. I LOVE how it turned out. The cutest trash ever! :-)

2. My hours at work have been doubled. That's not saying much, however. I'm working just under 30 hours now, but it feels like a lot. LOL. It's still fun though, so that's a great thing! :-)

3. Jeremy has been sick, SICK, and I've been well. 'Tis strange, yes. Thanking God I'm healthy, so I can take care of that poor sickie. :-)

4. A cat got hit by a car in front of my house and died. I had to break the news to the owner (after I found a poster for said cat). We both cried. It was sad. Poor little Beau.

5. Then the next day, I witnessed (and gave the 911 emergency person a play-by-play for about ten minutes) a car out of control (at 70 mph on the highway)... ending in a bad crash. The guy WALKED AWAY unharmed. Seriously, I'm pretty sure Angels guided his car the whole (nearly) 7 miles. (And thankfully, kept this truck from NOT rolling on top of my car.) At the end, Angels also picked up his car (with only the two back wheels) from an inclined grassy null, and placed it back on the highway, facing me. CRAZINESS. This was VERY traumatic... to say the least. Sheesh.

6. My work is home to the most caring, understanding, compassionate, and FABULOUS group of people EVER seen in a workplace. Ever. This was a breath of fresh air after my near-death experience on the highway. My boss gives great hugs. Just sayin'. :-) I could not have made it through work without them.

7. The weather is SO nice! 70s and 80s EVERY day. It will be like this now till October, and I.AM.STOKED! Mmm.... love me some Texas weather! Ruby, Amber and Kissa are spending LOTS of time outside. Kissa is so funny: She just sits on the deck the whole time... doesn't wander off at all. I love seeing her enjoy the sun. :-)

(This picture just makes me laugh. I love this kitty!)

8. FINALLY found a great doctor after mine moved away. FINALLY! It only took eight months... LOL. Had several "ah ha!" moments at my appointment yesterday. YAY!

9. Babysat for a FABULOUS family with two little girls (aged 8 and 5). They are SO awesome and SO fun that I didn't want to put them to sleep... because I'd miss them. LOL. My biological clock is now in over-drive. (Note to God: I'm ready whenever you are! ;-) )

10. Hubby and I decided on a boy's name... if we ever have a boy. Providing he *looks* like this name, he will receive the name. Nope. Sorry. It's a secret. But it's cute. With a cute nickname to boot! Hint: It's a Disney character. :-)

11. Went to visit my friend Bethina and her new baby, Elissa. Had SO much fun with her and the kiddos. I need to visit more often. How cute are they?!

Sean, the oldest:

Bryce, the middle:

And new baby, Elissa Grace:



She is SUCH a good baby too! I was there for four hours, and she barely fussed at all. And talking to Bethina, I am now officially wanting to have our kids in a birthing center, as opposed to a hospital. There is SO much I didn't know! And to have a birth that *I* want... and what *I* say goes?! No IV?! No sterile, uncomfortable environment? I can get up and pee? Or walk around if I want? Be in any position I want? Yes, please! :-D

If you're having a baby, and you haven't already, look into a birthing center (also 1/4 the price as a hospital) and a midwife/doula for your birth! :-)

Umm... okay, that was a lot of stuff. I'll try to update more often.... with progress of the house and my projects. I'm having fun organizing and decorating! :-D