I Should Be Folding Laundry

Even though it's raining outside.

*updated below*

I know I said I would tell you the story about the trees today, but, OH MY GOSH, today has been amazing.  And it's only 11:22 am.  (and the tree story is difficult for me, so I'll just push that little item to tomorrow's to-do list, k?)

I was on the phone with Christy this morning telling her about everything and she said "you should share this on your blog."

So, I'm going to.  I have to preface everything by saying that I really do not like talking about things that I "get," as in material possessions.  So, if I seem shallow and weak, well, that's okay.

I'm allowed. 

First of all, a couple of things:

1.) I love Seal.  If I could meet anyone, it would be Seal.  I would eat him for dinner, night after night after night.   I would make him dinner, night after night after night.  (which says a lot)  I have loved him since high school and have been devoted ever since.  He's handsome, he's poetic, he's emotional, he's awesome.

In high school, my boyfriend (at the time) and I bought tickets to see him at a huge venue in Chicago.  We got lost on the way there, we were totally late and we were seven miles from the stage. I swear we saw him sing four songs.  I bought a t-shirt and wore it to bed for years.  and stopped when it shrunk.  ahem.

Seal doesn't tour much, I'm not sure why.

2.)  I bought a new camera.  I loved my D40X, but I knew the day would come when I would want a better camera and I knew a day would come when I'd want to learn more about photography and hope that some day I would do it professionally.  I didn't know the day would come less than a year after buying the D40x.  I had many people offer to buy my D40x before I even mentioned buying a better camera.  So, we found a really, really good deal on eBay for the camera I wanted with five lenses, tripods, 16 gb of memory, and TONS of other stuff. We ordered it last Thursday.

3.)  I was planning to join Weight Watchers today, but I hesitated because it's so FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE.  (see #2 if you wonder why that matters...)

4.) Remember when my kitchen flooded one week after moving into our brand new house?  Remember that?  Brian was out of town?  I can remember trying to vacuum up the water into the shop vac and wanting to collapse in defeat, right there into the water, but I also remember thinking, something good has to come out of this.  Well, not only did it flood our ktichen, but our basement, too, and inside our basement were some couches that we had purchased before our current set. 

Okay, so...
Because the flood ruined our couches, we were able to buy a new set thanks to our trusty home insurance.  And it came in yesterday and we LOVE it.

Then, this morning?  My camera came in.  (HOORAY FOR FED EX!)

Then, while I was waiting patiently (read: sitting by it and staring at it) for my camera battery to charge, a commercial came on TV, which is crazy because I NEVER have the TV on in the morning and there was a commercial saying Seal was coming to Northwest Indiana.  I almost had a heart attack right there.  I went to tickmaster.com to see where else he was playing and the only other scheduled performance is in San Diego.  He's playing twice.  Once in San Diego and the other in Northwest Indiana.  The tickets go on sale tomorrow, but what I would give to MEET him.  OH MY GOSH, I feel so silly being so in love with a star, but seriously?  He is it for me.  JUST HIM, nobody else.  Anyway, presale tickets are on sale now, but we need an AMEX to buy them.  SONOFABITCH!

Then I called Christy and spazzed about Seal and saw the mail came.  I told her "if I go to the mailbox and my paycheck came?  It will make the greatest day!"

So, I went out to get the mail and get Ariel off of the bus (in the pouring rain) and my check was in there, along with a postcard from Weight Watchers asking me to come back and offering me 25% off.  What are the chances?!

Days that are overflowing with joy are so special to me.  The excitement I am feeling today is immeasurable, and I appreciate it so much.  More than I ever have before.

I have to go take pictures, pray for good Seal tickets, sit on my new couch and join Weight Watchers.  But first we need to sing and dance with Seal and celebrate this very, very good day.  It's a family affair, we can't wait for Daddy to join us later on.

update! We got the tickets! It's pretty fun being 31 years old and going around and asking folks if they have an Amex, Brian asked a co-worker and viola! WE ARE GOING TO SEE SEAL!! (I may die of a heart attack before then, but that's okay!) And since I wrote this a few hours ago, our broken Wii that we sent to the Wii people, was returned to us this afternoon and it works!  The good day continues.  Well except that the good people at Weight Watchers charged my account three times and they aren't responding to me, but I'll just pretend that's not happening, m'kay? And Seal, if you are reading this, and I'm sure you are, I promise I won't be a crazy person should you want to meet me.  Promise.

um...help?

I don't know about you all, but we had such a great holiday weekend.  It was very relaxing and it started out with me cleaning bathrooms on Saturday morning, which really does make me happy.  Well not so happy while I was doing it...but definitely happy after I did it...but that only lasted about four minutes until my kids and husband went into the bathroom and squirted toothpaste all over the cabinets and the boys peed all over everything.

But due to our relaxing, non-eventful weekend which included pools, beaches, bratwurst and smores...I have nothing to blog about, except pools, beaches, bratwurst and smores.

And dirty bathrooms, apparently.

Can you help me come up with something to blog about? PLEASE?

In the meantime, I'll share some pictures with you, how's that sound? 

If you look closely at this picture, you'll see the Chicago Skyline:

Now, I am gnot a gnome lover, but Crooked Eyebrow bought two of these gnomes for me, they're about three inches tall and well, I just love them!

Here's a picture of one of the trees we have for James and Jake, you can see the bricks we had made with their names on it.  This is the tree that was most severely eaten by the bastard beetles, it's in my backyard and gets lots of love and attention from the sun and me, of course. 

Oh and I'll leave you with a picture of my sister's friend, Katie, who happens to read my blog.  I was lucky enough to spend time with Katie when I visited my sister in Louisville last month.  Katie is really fun, but all of a sudden she started to taunt me and tell me that I would never be able to break up with Wal-Mart, it was pretty mean, just look at her mean face:

Mean girl.  I'll just blame all of the mojitos she had been drinking.

That's it!  That's all I've got!  Seriously, help me get rid of my blogger's block, m'kay?  Do you have topics, ideas, questions? Anything?  Share them with me. 

HURRY. 

Overwhelmed

Sometimes, in a single weekend, I experience, feel and see so much love and beauty, that by the end of the weekend I am so tired, I can barely keep my eyes open, I can hardly move. 

That is what I call a very, very good weekend.  I am so grateful to have not only experienced what we have this weekend, but also for the pictures that I have to help me remember. 

Hey, it's me.

You know it's been awhile since you've blogged when your house guests says "um...have you blogged?"  I apologize for my disappearance, it was not intentional.  (Read: Christy's fault)

So, I guess I should blog but it's soooooo hard since Christy is still here (she extended her stay!)  (I know!) and I'm still sickly (I have no voice) and tired and when I should be blogging, I'm napping because I am such an exciting host.  Don't I make you want to come stay at Casa Del Folding Laundry?  Speaking of folding laundry, I have SCADS of laundry to do and I'll do it, soon, I'm busy trying to complete my very long to-do list beforehand:

-sleep until eleven.  CHECK.
-put bras in fancy new washer.  CHECK.
-laugh with Christy because she is HI-LIARIOUS.  CHECK, CHECK, CHECK.
-leave bras in fancy new washer.  CHECK.
-take a nap because of nasty ass headache that is threatening to split my head open.  CHECK.
-wake up from nap and eat grilled cheese and cupcake.  CHECK.
-take a close look at all of the chips and jelly and mud all over the kitchen floor and do nothing about it.  CHECK.
-blog.  CHECKING.
-stay in pajamas until 4:30.  CHECKITY CHECK CHECK.

We are an exciting bunch.  I know.  I'll be back soon!  With pictures!  and stories!

I'm fixin' to blog, y'all.

I'm sitting in my living room, drinking coffee and listening to Ariel, Racecar and Christy's son BJ play Wii.  Christy just got done creating her Mii character (she's a Wii virgin!).  She's about to bowl her first game of bowling.

Although my throat still hurts like an em effer, my fever just broke and I'm sweating like a 400 pound man sitting in the sun in the middle of August and my glands are swollen to the point that I look just like John McCain, despite all of these things, I kinda feel like I'm in heaven right now.

I mean, CHRISTY is in my house.  HER KIDS are in my house.  We are drinking coffee TOGETHER, in our ghetto pajamas (mine with a hole, hers with oreo cookie ice cream on the front), we are both on our RED (ruby and roja) laptops and we don't even get annoyed when one person is blogging while the other is not.  AND I introduced dunking BUG BITES in coffee to Christy and let's just say we'll be needing to pick up a few more boxes at some point today. or as Christy says "I'm FIXIN' to pick up some Bug Bites."   I love it when she says fixin'.  and y'all.

The situation is quite perfect, the only thing that will make this situation better would be if my throat didn't hurt so damn bad, but that's okay, I'll survive.  That's how good everything is right now, the strept throat really doesn't matter all that much.  Unless I need to, you know, talk or drink water.

My blogging time is up, we have important things to do like Wii bowling and going to Target.

almost dead

I'm sitting on my bed, eating macaroni and cheese from Kentucky Fried Chicken with a spork, it's the first thing I've eaten in hours.  Which is totally unlike me, usually I like to eat during every hour, just to be fair to each hour of the day.

Today?  Not so much.

I woke up feeling 1000 times worse, before I even went downstairs I called my doctor's office which was not easy because it felt like I had swallowed a pineapple, and it was stuck, horizontally, in my throat.  My body hurts, my neck hurts, my teeth hurt, my head hurts.  I'm a HOT mess.

so, I went to see the doctor...

and I have strept throat. 

And it totally hurts SO bad. 

So, I'm just going to sit here and not to do anything and just hope and pray that I feel better before Christy's arrival tomorrow.

You know what I love and what would make me feel a little better?  I love when you share things about yourself with me.  Maybe you could tell me something else about yourself to keep me busy, to make me feel better.  And if you have NOTHING to share with me (which would be a total lie) you can ask me something.  And I just may answer you as soon as I wake up from my vicodin induced coma.

C'mon, Brian and the kids went to Grandma's, it will be just you and me.  Help a sister out, won't you?

oh and if you can find a way to e-mail me some soft serve ice cream with peanut cups and oreos in it, I will love you FOREVER. 

I'm just a girl

Last night, Sarah, Steph, Crooked Eyebrow, Arianne and I went to dinner and then we went to see Sex and the City.

At dinner, we celebrated our friendship, I think, with laughter and stories and just being us.  We celebrated Crooked Eyebrow's birthday, (which is today)with margaritas and singing.

Then we headed off to the theatre, us girls.  And we watched this movie and these characters that we love, and we laughed and cried.  It was a great movie.

But as we sat, us girls side by side, and we watched the hardship and struggles that Miranda, Samantha, Charlotte and Carrie had been through, I thought about the girls beside me, I thought about me.

I thought about how we, in our early twenties, lived as women in their twenties typically live, somewhat carefree, somewhat simply and sometimes, just waiting for something bigger.

I thought about each of us and the personal struggles each of us have, whether one of us has lost our children, or had a difficult marriage, or their child or children are dealing with an illness of some sort, or watching our own children struggle.  I thought about how at one point in our recent lives, we all felt broken and scared, unsure of what the next day would bring.  But with each new day we took our steps, carefully, in the direction of personal healing. 

Some days are easy.  Some days are not. 

We may not have the beautiful bodies, the perfect skin, the shiny hair and Manolo Blahniks, but as woman, we are all kinda the same as the girls on the screen.

With each new day we learn who we are, we gain strength, we grow in love and somehow, without even trying, we become better.

And as hard as life can be sometimes, sometimes, when surrounded by friends of strength, sometimes it's better than the excellent movie we are watching.

It's funny how when watching a good movie, the scene on the screen can bring you to tears because it makes you think of your own life, the good and the bad.  But what's even better is looking beside you and knowing you are not alone. 

I realized, while sitting and watching, that it wasn't just us, but the entire theatre, that was filled with women, we all have our stories and struggles.  And whether you know the person next to you or not, you have a special bond.

It's a beautiful thing. 

Being a girl is pretty awesome, if you ask me.  And getting older is a lot better than I thought it would be.

She's a Rock Star

I once knew this girl with a very big heart, a bright smile and an incredible soul.  She was the life of the party, she had a great attitude, she loved life, she loved people, she adored her family.

I once knew this girl who was passionate about everything, she understood life, she was warm, thoughtful, inviting.  SHE taught ME how beautiful MY life was, not with words, but by living her life.

I once knew this girl who was a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend.  She valued everyone in her life.  She valued the big and the little things.  She loved birthdays.  Her birthday falls on May 25th and every May was "her birthday month."  This girl, she celebrated life. 

This girl, at the age of twenty-six was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Her son had just turned one, but she was a fighter and she fought.  And she won, for a little while, and then cancer returned.

This girl, her name is Rachelle, died when she was thirty-three years old.  This mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend is gone.  She was only thirty three and she died of breast cancer in 2003.  To this day, my heart aches, I remember her, I remember her spirit, her courage, I feel her love and I didn't really even know her that well.  That's how amazing she was.  She affected everyone who was fortunate enough to cross her path.

May is still her birthday month, even though she's not here.  Rachelle is my best friend's sister, my soul sister.  Rachelle's family, although their hearts are broken and not a day goes by where they didn't wish she was here by their sides, they live life fully and with love, this is how they honor her. 

This family that I am SO PROUD to know and love, raises money every year for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, this family, to date, has raised over $50,000 in four years, in honor of Rachelle, but also so other families do not have to experience a loss as tragic as theirs.  The Rock Star Fans are so close to reaching their goal this year of $14,000!

She was a Rock Star.  She's still a Rock Star.  And she has many, many fans.  I am just one of them, sitting in the audience, continuing to be amazed by her grace, her strength, her love.

To my readers, I wish you could have met Rachelle, I wish you could meet her family and some of you have and you know what I am talking about when I say "they are incredible." To read a little bit more about Rachelle and learn a little bit more about this courageous family, you can visit their fundraising page .  Feel free to donate and help save lives - whether you knew Rachelle or not, more than likely you yourself are a breast cancer survivor or you know one, or maybe someone you love lost their battle, and if you haven't, you will.   

To Rachelle's family, I admire and love you all, I am so proud of you and I am so proud to know you.  This weekend, whether you are walking with the Rock Star Fans, or cheering on the sidelines, I know that Rachelle is so proud of all of you.  And she's not the only one.

The reason I am telling you about Rachelle is not only because I'd love for you to donate to this cause, but also because I think her life and the way she lived it should be shared with everyone I know and also because you need to understand that you are not in control of your own life and what happens in it, the one thing you are in control of, is how you live it. 

Live it well. 

 

Lighten Up

This past week has been very heavy for me, very sad, not very good.  So, I have some random things to share with you and then I'll be on my way to trying to lighten things up inside of me.

First, I wrote a post here about my weight.  I need to lose weight, but like so many others, I'm struggling to find that key motivation to get me started.  I can't figure out why it's so hard to make ourselves look and feel better...is there anything better than looking and feeling better?  Is there anything worse than feeling bad about yourself?

Second, I read this post, written by Tara, it's about her husband.  It was his birthday yesterday and she wrote a post listing 34 things that she loves about her husband and it includes pictures with each item and OH MY GOD,  I love it.  Could you write a post like that about your husband?  Would you?  I love it and I had to share it.

Thirdly, I am going to see Sex in the City tomorrow night with some of my girly friends and I am EXCITED.  My hope is that Smith Jerrod is in it and that he is looking extra hot.  I'm just sayin'.  I not only hope he's in it, A LOT, but I hope his hair is cut short, remember when he cut his hair off for Samantha???  I cried like a baby.  And then I paused the episode and stared at his hotness for hours.  HOURS I TELL YOU.  Brian was so annoyed.  If I could live blog during the movie, I totally would.   

Oh and I did get to the dentist and I have to have a root canal next week.  It's funny because root canals have this bad reputation, but I think they're pretty breezy.  The only thing I dread about going to the endodontist is the bill.

Interesting.  I feel so much better now since I talked so much about Smith Jerrod.  This could be a good day.

I'll leave you with a present.  No need to thank me.

Wow.  Just wow.

Oh my. *UPDATED*

I bought something today.  Something I have been eyeballing months, but I always put it back on the shelf after smelling it and counting how many were left on the department store shelf.

I used to LOVE to shop, but after losing James and Jake, that desire hasn't been there.  Sure I have purchased things.  Like jeans.  And graphic tees. Deoderant, Teddy Grahams.  But I haven't really shopped. 

Maybe it's because the sun was shining today and it was seventy degrees, maybe it's because I started the morning out in a restaurant having the most pleasant breakfast with Ariel and Racecar and Brian.  Today we celebrated my Mother's Day because Sunday last Sunday was too painful, it wasn't right.  Maybe it's because my house is clean, thanks to having five showings over the course of five days.  Maybe it's because our business has surpassed anything we could have ever imagined.

Maybe it's because of you.   I feel your love and your support and it means SO much to me that I feel a little lighter.  a little breezy.  Whatever it was, it felt right.

And I bought it. 

And I just had to show you, my friends.  Isn't she divine?

And I have something for you.  A giveaway on Monday. 
I'll give you a hint.
GO HERE.

**For those who have asked, I purchased this purse at Macy's and it's made by Fossil.  They have all sorts of fun, summery patterns.  Here's a direct link to the handbag.  And if anyone feels like buying me a birthday present, I'll take the matching wallet or this handbag.  or these flip flops.  See how helpful I am?  I'm all about helping out. But I have to stop looking at The Macy's website, it's making Brian very, very nervous.  He's starting to sweat.  A lot.**