Surprise!

Thanksgiving went really well this year. Lance cooked dinner for the second year in a row and did an amazing job! I think he really likes doing it. My parents, sister and Jon were here. We also played a little Rock Band and I think my sister is now officially hooked on the game. So much fun!

Friday was the day I was sort of dreading, but it ended up being a great day. Lance ended up taking me to Monterey for the day and we had an amazing time. The weather was sort of cool but not freezing. We had a fantastic lunch and then we walked around near the aquarium. We ended up not going to the aquarium because we didn't have much time to spend there, so we'll go next time. We stopped in a jewelry store and Lance bought me a beautiful ring and necklace! I'll be sure to post a picture of it when I upload it onto my computer. We shared a Ghiradelli ice cream sundae before heading to my parent's house. My parents had made dinner reservations at a newer steakhouse in downtown Clayton for that evening. It was delicious!!!!! Sooooo good. It turned out to be a very nice day!

Yesterday, my sister called me in the morning and told me that she was going to take me out for my birthday since she wasn't able to see me on my actual birthday. She picked me up around 1pm and we took off driving. She wouldn't tell me where we were going and I tried to not ask very many questions. It was all sort of suspicious, though, as she was driving in what felt like circles. She went a very weird direction out of my street and then we got on the freeway. When she got off the freeway, she started backtracking on the side streets. I really didn't know where we were going. Finally, she pulled into the bowling alley parking lot and told me we were going bowling. Sweet! I love bowling so I was super happy. What I didn't know was that a bunch of my friends and my parents were inside to surprise me. I had absolutely NO clue that this had been planned! Bre and Lance set up the entire thing for me. I was absolutely speechless for what seemed like an endless amount of time. We started walking toward the far lanes and they all jumped out screaming "Happy Birthday!" It was amazing. I was shocked...and super happy.

We played a couple of games and then everyone headed to my house for pizza, cake and Rock Band. The last of my friends left at 11pm, so it was a very full day of fun. I had the most amazing time. I actually couldn't have asked for a better day. I LOVE games...any games...so to be able to play all day with my friends was a blast.

Lance, Bre, Mom, Dad, Leah, Justin, Dan, Noell, Madison, Laura, Bridget, Scott, Mike, Shellie and Izzie....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for celebrating my birthday with me! It truly was one that I will never forget.

Birthday Celebration!

An amazing day
Bowling and Rock Band with friends
A special birthday

Oops!

I forgot to post
last night about my birthday
I guess I missed one!

Thanksgiving

Turkey and stuffing
Mashed potatoes with gravy
I was in heaven!

Let The Holidays Begin!

A Thanksgiving feast
The fam is coming over
Lots of stuff to eat!


I haven't written an actual entry in a while, so I figured that it must be time for an update.

I finished up my classes last week at the Adult Ed. I'm really happy that I took them! I'm really happy that they're over, too. I was going to sign up for a class this next term but I decided against it. I realized that I was WAY overbooking myself with stuff and I was becoming increasingly more exhausted. I was at the point where I felt like I was sleepwalking at work during the day. Life is too short to feel like every moment is just passing you by. So, I had to learn to say when enough was enough.

I started job coaching again last week. I was supposed to start the first week of November but the schedule wasn't set up in time. I decided to do 5 days a week this year. It seems like a lot, but when I factor in that I get off at 5pm compared to 5:45pm when I worked at the preschool, it isn't that bad. Most of my placements are pretty cool and the students are pretty awesome so far. I think it will probably be a good year for Workability.

Last Saturday, I invited 19 of Lance's friends to dinner at E.J. Phair to celebrate his birthday. It was nice to see everyone and we all had a really great time. I surprised Lance and invited his friend Kristine, who he hadn't seen in about 5 years. They were really close friends in junior high and high school. It was really great for them to be able to catch up. We're going to try and get out to San Francisco to see her sometime in the near future.

Monday was Lance's birthday. I took him out to Moylan's brewery for lunch. He was really surprised and had NO idea where we were going. It was great because I really wanted to find somewhere to go where he would be genuinely surprised. The food was EXCELLENT and from what Lance said, the beer was pretty good, too. He even ordered a couple of bottles to bring home. We didn't do anything else that day because he wasn't feeling well. (He still isn't feeling great, but he's doing okay).

Lance is, once again, cooking Thanksgiving dinner at our house. He really enjoyed doing it last year so he wanted to do it again this year. It is SOOOO nice having a hubby that does all the cooking! =) My parents, sister and her boyfriend will come over early to play some Rock Band before dinner and pie. My mom has to work at midnight tomorrow night, so we're going to make it an early dinner.

My birthday is this Friday. I know that I'm probably being a total baby about the whole thing, but I'm really not looking forward to my birthday this year. I'm actually having major anxiety about it. For some reason, turning 30 seems really significant. I think one of the reasons why I'm having a problem with it is because I don't really have the life I thought I would have had 4 or 5 years ago (i.e. a little one). I don't want to sound ungrateful for the things I do have, though. I have a wonderful family, a loving husband, a roof over my head and food in the cabinets. I have a stable job and a reliable car. I have a couple of true friends that I can really count on. It's hard when people ask me what I want for my birthday or Christmas because the one thing that I want can't be bought in a store or wrapped in a box. I never really "want" anything...except for a family of my own. (You can ask Lance...buying for me can be one of the hardest things in the entire world!) Anyway, I know there are people who will tell me that I'm still young and they will probably think that I'm being silly, but I can't help the way I feel. I told Lance that I don't want to plan anything for my birthday and that if anyone wants to plan something for me, just tell me when and where to show up. I plan everyone else's birthdays, anniversarys, etc. I'm not going to plan my birthday this year. So, I have no idea what I'm doing or if I'm doing anything at all. I'm ready for someone to surprise me with something.

We had Ursula and the boys over for dinner last night. The boys are getting so big!!! It was so fun getting to see them and spend time with them. I really want to try and get out to see them more often, especially since they live so much closer now.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

A Great Evening

A great time tonight
With Ursula and the boys
Can't wait 'til next time!

Pain

I messed up my back
No more vacuuming for me!
A new chore for Lance

(Just kidding, sweetie...just wanted to see if you actually read my blog)

Relaxing

Time to fold laundry
and watch some shows that I missed
I love lazy days!

This Morning

Two times to the dump
Dad took out the two damn trees!
I'm a happy gal

At Last!

Finally a break!
A week off for Thanksgiving
Lots of stuff to do

Food

Ate too much today
Now I am paying for it
My belly is full!!!

Blah

Skipped out on Excel
Needed to go home tonight
I am a rebel!

Term Ending

My last day of school
Comes tomorrow with Excel
Until December

Sleep

Thirteen hour day
Makes me want to hit the hay
Time to rest my head

Almost There...

I have one more week
Then it is Thanksgiving break!
I am almost there

National Protest Against Prop 8

Another protest
People should have the same rights
I will keep fighting

Ronnie's Race

It was a close race
Behind by only three points
Couldn't pull it off

Another Crazy Weekend

A busy weekend
Next week even busier
My head will explode!

Jennifer

It has been four years
Your voice is always with me
You are truly missed

Time to Transfer?

Sixteen more units
To get to Cal State East Bay
Lots of school for me!

The Counselor

I will make a choice
To go back to school or not?
We will have to see.

Christmas is Coming!

It is almost time
The season fast approaches
Time to celebrate!

Just Made It!

I made it by twelve
A Haiku for Saturday
Now I go to bed

Long Weekend

A four day weekend!
What shall I do tomorrow?
Hang with Mom and Dad

Dinner

My belly is full
Pasta Pomodoro rocks!
A good time with friends

Heartbroken

Today I was sad
People's rights taken away
We will fight again

Change

It is time for change
Barack defeated McCain
Now defeat Prop 8!

No on 8!!!!!!!!

Four hours outside
Holding my sign in the rain
Time to end the hate

All Backed Up

Had to make a call
Roto Rooter coming soon
Stupid tree must go!

Old Friends

Tonight, Lance and I got together with some friends that we haven't seen in a few years. I'm not quite sure why we haven't been in touch the last couple of years. I guess life just takes over sometimes and before you know it, a whole bunch of time goes by. It was nice getting to catch up with them. We went out to dinner, had some ice cream for dessert and then went back to their house so we could see their new house. Their daughter is adorable and has gotten so big! Lance and I had a really great time. I've really missed them and I'm so glad that we're back in touch.

It's nice to reconnect with old friends.

Fall

The rain is falling
Leaves are beginning to change
How I love the fall!

Slacker!

Okay, so I didn't exactly live up to the expectations I had for myself to actually blog every day this month. I was on the right track for a while...then I goofed. Then, over the last week or so, I haven't been able to pick myself back up. Ah well...life happens.

November is Haiku-A-Day month. I am setting the bar high again and I'm expecting to be able to accomplish this. I can say now that I think it will be easier to write a 3 line Haiku compared to a blog entry, but it may not end up that way. Expect my first one tomorrow.

So, here is what has been happening in my life over the last week or so:

Today was my last day working at the preschool. I'm bummed...super sad. I really love it there and enjoy the kids and the entire staff more than I could possibly express. I made sure they knew to call me whenever they needed a sub.

School continues to go well. My teachers are awesome. I believe I have 3 more weeks of class this term. I'm not sure what I'm going to take next term, but I may only take one class. Even though I am no longer at the preschool everyday, I'm still going to be working over 40 hours a week. I'm trying to do as much as I can without burning out. Sometimes it is a fine line, but I think I'm managing.

I absolutely love the classes that I have been attending that are for foster and adopting parents. Lance has gone to all but maybe one or two classes with me and they have all been great. We have met some absolutely wonderful people. I am signed up to take 3 more classes before the end of the year. I'm really looking forward to them.

I don't know about everyone else, but I am SOOOOO ready for the election to be over. Whoever is elected really has their work cut out for them. No on 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Weekend!

I Couldn't Help Myself

As I was driving to work today, I stopped at a red light and noticed a man walking to a street corner to place a sign to urge voters to vote Yes on Prop 8. I was so outraged that when the light turned green, I had already put my passenger side window down to yell something at him when I drove by. I won't repeat here what I said to him, but I can say that I wasn't nice.

Was this a bit out of character for me? Yes...yes it was. But, I couldn't help it.

I am continuously perplexed as to why people have such a hard time with gay people getting married. Maybe it is because I grew up outside of San Francisco that I am so accepting of other people. I was always exposed to people of different cultures, ethnicities and lifestyles. Or, maybe it is because my generation has been more accepting and tolerant of gay people. Whatever it is, I don't see this as a threat to the heterosexual population. Heck, the divorce rate is somewhere around 50%...what does that say about heterosexual marriages? That's not something to brag about.

I have gay people in my family and I have gay friends. I can't even fathom what it must feel like for them to have to face such discrimination. I don't know how to respond to people who say that they believe that they should have the same rights as far as owning property together or getting to visit their loved one in the hospital, yet they shouldn't be allowed to get married. I don't know how anyone could have a problem with that. It doesn't concern me or my marriage and they certainly aren't hurting anyone.

How is it anyone's right to tell them that they cannot have a legal ceremony to seal their commitment to one another???

I am outraged and I am saddened that people are so full of intolerance. I will absolutely, without a doubt, vote NO on Prop 8.

Another Cruise

I just got back from my parent's house where we booked another cruise to go on in March. My dad decided that he wanted to do an 8 day cruise to Mexico for his 60th birthday next year, and this specific cruise that he wants to go on is only offered in March and October. My sister and I would have to take a leave of absence from work next October and we would get docked an entire week of work, so we decided to do the cruise in March. It happens to fall during our spring break, so the timing is perfect! I'm super excited. This cruise will mark my 3rd cruise in a 7 month period. I better make sure that I don't run out of motion sickness patches! I'm bummed that Lance won't be able to go with us, as he doesn't have spring break until two weeks after I do. It would be way too hard for him to take off an entire week of work. Honestly, I think he'll probably be cruised out by the time we get back from our cruise in December. I don't think he's too torn up about missing the one in March.

I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my parent's new puppy. His name is Bear and he's sooooo adorable! I don't think these pictures do him justice. My mom took him to the vet last week and he's a healthy 4.2 pound baby boy. I took a picture of their other dog, Sissy, so she wouldn't feel left out.

Enjoy!

Sissy

Bear

How cute is he???

Soooo behind!

I'm seriously behind on posting to my blog. Writing everyday has been really hard. I haven't been home much over the last two days, so my main priority has been trying to get laundry done and possibly get some sleep. I guess I have failed in my attempt to post everyday in October. November is Haiku-A-Day month. Hopefully that will be easier!

I finally got a chance to see my friend, Elizabeth, and her husband, Mathew, yesterday. They live in Utah and came to celebrate their daughter Evalina's 1st birthday with their family and friends here in California. I haven't seen them in a couple of years (at least!) so it was really great to catch up and finally meet Evalina. Another one of my old friends from high school was also there. It was nice to see everyone!

Today I am trying to catch up on what needs to be done at home. I have laundry piled sky high, the table needs to be cleaned off, I need to vacuum...the list goes on and on! I also can't forget about my homework. To top it off, I woke up yesterday feeling like my cold is coming back. I thought I was just getting over one and now I'm feeling crappy again. There has been a lot of sickness going around at the preschool, so I was probably bound to end up with something again. Good thing I have a lot of sick time at work!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Old Friends

So, I totally forgot to post something yesterday. I checked my blog yesterday but I didn't post anything. I must be tired!

I don't have much to report tonight. I do have a pretty exciting weekend ahead, as some old friends are coming from out of town. I haven't seen them in quite a few years, so I'm super happy! I also get to finally meet my friend's little girl. She turned 1 last weekend and is such a cutie! I can't wait.

Okay...that really is all I can scrape up tonight. Hopefully I'll have more tomorrow.

Goodnight!

Always Singing

It's no secret that I love to sing in the car. I don't do it much with other people in my car and I don't do it when Lance is with me, but I do it all the time when I'm by myself. I love belting out a good tune and I never care who's watching me.

I remember this one day about a year ago when I was headed to the movie theater to pick up some movie tickets. Like ususal, I was singing away. I had a guy pull up beside me at a light and smile. I quickly turned away and kept on singing. The light turned green and we both went our separate ways...or so I thought. I pulled up to the theater and got out of my car. While standing in line, I heard a voice right behind me say, "So...what song were you singing?" I blushed, bought my ticket and left quickly. It was the first time I had been embarrassed. For some reason, I can get up and sing in front of hundreds, even thousands, of people and not be scared or embarrassed, yet for some reason I wanted to crawl inside myself when the guy approached me.

On my way to work this morning, I pulled up to a red light. I was belting out a song that I hadn't heard in a while (and I won't discuss which song it was for fear of being teased...I'll just say it was a newer pop song) when I looked over and saw the girl in the car next to me singing also. Then I realized that we were singing the same song! She must have realized what was happening because she broke out in laughter.

Good times, good times!

Directv

Ever since we moved into our current house, we have experienced problems with our Directv service. I don't know how many times Lance has had to call them for certain things. Recently, our recorder has been acting up. We'll start to watch a show that we have recorded and it will freeze. It started out happening every once in a while. Then, about two days ago, I'd be able to watch a show for about 2 minutes and then it would freeze. It would start playing again and then freeze in another 2 minutes. It started driving us nuts!

Today I came home and Lance informed me that our box won't even turn on now. Perfect. I have a few shows that are on right now that I've been looking forward to. As disappointed as I am, it's a good reminder of how lucky I am to even have a luxury like that. I don't get to watch much TV as it is, but it has always been nice to turn something on and zone out for a bit after a long day. I guess I HAVE to talk to my husband every night now!

Just kidding, sweetie. =)

Pergo

Tonight was one of those nights when I really started to miss having laminate flooring. In our old house, we tore out the carpet and put down Pergo. It made a world of difference, both with the way the house looked inside and how easy it was to clean and keep clean.

It is SOOO hard to keep carpet clean and presentable when you have animals. Willy was put in our bedroom while Lance went outside to feed Argos tonight. A car backfired outside and I knew instantly that Willy would pee all over our room. Sure enough, he peed on Lance's side of the bed and at the foot of the bed. To top it off, he also peed on our comforter. Good thing I had an extra one!

With laminate flooring, all we would have to do it wipe it up. No fuss...no mess...simple. With carpet, we had to get as much as we could with a paper towel, then spray some Nature's Miracle on it, then cover it with towels so we could still walk in the room. Such a pain. Then you just hope that it doesn't smell too much. I don't have much of a sense of smell anyway, but I'm always nervous that it is going to be really stinky.

Oh, how I miss my Pergo!!! One day, I'll get it again.

CPR

Lance and I did an all day CPR/First Aid class today. It was offered through the county as part of their continuing education program for foster and adoptive parents. This was by far the best CPR class that we have taken. The teachers were excellent! Another plus was that you didn't have to take the lame test at the end. I hate tests! We also got out of class a bit early. No complaining here!

It is always nice to talk to other people who are foster and adoptive parents. There was a lady in our class today that has been in another one of our classes and we remembered each other right away. She has 4 children right now (at least one of them is adopted and one is a foster child) and they have started the process of adopting another child. While talking to her, we realized that we both have the same social worker. She told me exactly what I had heard from other people...that our social worker, Susan, is completely swamped with caseloads. She told us that the best advice she could give us was to give her another call soon just to check in. I'm going to follow that advice and hopefully call her this week. Susan apparently told her that she has a couple who have been waiting to adopt for over a year and a half now...we both wondered if she was talking about me and Lance. I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be too much longer!

I Didn't Forget

I didn't forget to post last night. The truth is, I really just had nothing to say. I'm getting tired of writing about how I'm "super busy" and "I can't think of anything", so last night, I said nothing.

Lance and I have CPR all day today. Hopefully I'll come home and be able to actually post something with some substance.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

10 Minutes and Counting...

There were at least 5 different times today when I thought about topics that would make really great blog entries. They all included either something I've thought about during the day or something that happened to me. Yet as I sit here in front of the computer, I can't remember even one of my ideas. I've been staring at my computer screen for over 10 minutes now. I'm really going to have to start writing down my ideas as they come to me. Maybe a pen and a small piece of paper wouldn't be such a bad thing to carry around in my pocket.

Lance and I went to a class tonight on New Baby Care. It was great and super informative, although I'm sure that I'm going to forget everything I learned tonight when we're placed with a child. I often think this is what is going to happen if I should ever need to apply my CPR training. After every CPR class I've ever had, I've always had this feeling that my skills will fly out the window when I need them the most. The lady who taught our class tonight was great. She's an R.N. and a Foster Parent Liasion. I made sure to grab her contact information before I left in case I ever need to get a hold of her for anything. She is definitely a contact that I want to keep.

We're renewing our CPR/First Aid certification on Saturday. I sooooo wish that I could have my Saturday free this weekend, but I'm also anxious to get the training out of the way.

I'm really enjoying my classes at the adult ed. My teachers are really great. I actually created an Excel sheet for work today and was able to apply some things that I learned in my class. Woo hoo! I retained something. Hooray for me!

Alrighty...time for bed.

Confirmed!

Remember the free cruise that I won in August? I got a letter in the mail today from Carnival Cruise Lines confirming my request to sail to Mexico in December. Cabo, here I come! I'm so excited, so excited, so excited......

I'm ready to start packing!

I need a vacation.

Oops!

Okay, so Blog-A-Day month just started and I've already missed a day. I completely forgot to post yesterday! So much for my head being screwed on straight...

I've been fighting this cold/whatever for almost 3 weeks now. I'm not sure what it is but it includes congestion, a seriously raspy voice and exhaustion. I'm probably just tired. I took the day off today and slept. I'm feeling a bit better but my voice is still shot. The owner of the preschool told me last week that it was my "sexy voice". It might be, but I don't feel very sexy right now.

I watched the debate tonight. I'm pretty certain that I know who I'm voting for. I enjoy listening to what they have to say, but after about 45 minutes, my brain turns to mush and I start getting antsy. The only thing I know is that the economy needs to turn around immediately. It is pretty scary.

Okay...I'm off to do Excel homework before I head to bed.

Religulous

Lance and I went and saw Religulous today. It is Bill Maher's documentary that has him interviewing people of all religions to try and get some answers. He interviews everyone from creationists to Mormons to priests from the Vatican. It was a movie that I had been interested in seeing for a long time. It didn't disappoint.

What I like about Bill Maher is the fact that he asks questions instead of telling people that he KNOWS the truth about religion. He asks a lot of questions that people are uncomfortable answering and in one instance, the person actually walks out on him. He definitely leans more towards being an atheist, although he never claims to be one. To me, he is someone who is seeking answers and trying to understand why people believe the things that they do.

I think I'm probably a lot like him in this way. Even after I was "saved" during my high school years, I was never comfortable calling myself a Christian. Something about that label always bothered me a little bit. I dated a couple of guys who went to church regularly and I would go with them. I remember that I would come home from church and ask my parents all kinds of questions like, "how do I know that THIS one is the right religion?" My parents never had an answer for me. I don't think anyone does.

I have never felt comfortable calling myself an atheist either. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I just can't get there. I definitely lean more that way, but for some reason, I associate being an atheist with closing the door on a possibility that God exists. Do I really think that he does? No, but I just can't get there. Do I find a lot of the stories in the bible to be completely outrageous and, at times, even horrific? Yes. I guess I'm just more comfortable saying "I don't know". I want to continue to ask questions. Maybe it's just having to label myself something that I don't like. I don't know...

Question everything.

Why So Insulting?

The upcoming presidential election has really sparked a lot of interest with people on all sides of the issues. I've never been one to hide that my views fall way more on the liberal side of things. I am a huge supporter of gay marriage and I believe in a woman's right to choose. As far as some of the foreign policy and economy issues that we face, I'm the first to admit that I am not as well informed. I know that our economy and housing market is in the crapper right now. I really can't be much more detailed than that.

We all have our differences of opinion. I agree with my parents on almost all of the issues but we tend to feel differently on others. The thing is, when we talk about them, we're respectful. We don't criticize the other side for thinking the way they do nor do we throw insults. We will never get 100% of the people to agree on an issue 100% of the time.

I happen to know someone who I feel I cannot have a reasonable conversation with, and now that politics are a daily topic, it has become worse. I used to feel that our conversations were a bit awkward, but now it has turned into a big, heaping ball of insults thrown our way because we don't share the same opinions that they do. For goodness sake...I don't even really like politics! I know that Lance and my sister feel the same way. I won't name who they are out of respect. It has gotten so bad at times that I don't even know how I'm going to talk to this person the next time I see them. He/She is an extreme conservative who feels that all liberals are "friggin' idiots" and that the only good thing about liberals is that they all die eventually. This is just a very small sample of the things that we have heard over the last few months. It has gotten worse, but I won't go into it.

The point is, I'm furious. As much as I don't agree with most of the conservatives, I would NEVER EVER call them names or try to push their buttons to insult them. This person also considers themself to be a Christian. I was taught to be tolerant of others. I was taught to be respectful to others. I'm starting to learn now, though, that respect is to be earned. My respect for this person is dwindling, and so is my patience.

I just don't understand it. We wonder why there is so much hate in the world.

Blank

I am so tired tonight that I honestly, seriously have nothing of any value to blog about tonight. I am writing this just for the sole purpose of trying to accomplish one blog every single day this month. I even voluntarily signed up to take a class tomorrow, on my SATURDAY, so I need to get to bed so I can wake up early tomorrow morning.

Am I punishing myself with everything I'm doing? I don't know...I'm too tired to think about it.

Day 2

Okay, so it's only the second day of the "blog-a-day" month and I'm already at a slight loss of words. I'm not supposed to only give a personal account of what is happening in my life, as Scott says that one of the rules is that you can't just give a run down of your days. But, right now, my little bubble is all I know. I'm a bit out of touch as to what is happening in the world. That's not a good thing necessarily, but it's my life at the moment.

I had a doctor appointment today. It went well overall. My main reason for going was to have my blood pressure checked, as I switched medications this summer and we needed to give it a little time to see if it was working. Luckily for me, it is working. My doctor said my blood pressure was perfect. She asked me how I was feeling overall and I said that I was feeling really great...with one exception...my feet have been hurting for a while now. They get really stiff when I've been off of them for a while. When I get up in the morning, I'm really stiff and sore. When I've been sitting on the couch for a while and I get up, they're really stiff and sore. I have to get some routine blood work done in the next few days anyway to make sure my thyroid and triglycerides are still on track, so they're also going to test me for Rheumatoid Arthritis. If I don't test positive for that, she said it is probably that I'm overdoing it. With the schedule I'm keeping right now, I wouldn't be surprised.

Some random thoughts that I had today:

It rained. I love the rain and the dark clouds and the feeling that winter is not too far off.

I love my husband. He's the bestest. He takes care of me and supports me and has my dinner ready for me when I come home every night. I can't wait to see him as a daddy.

My parents got a new puppy today. He's an 8 week old apricot-colored toy poodle. Pretty stinkin' cute. I can't wait to meet him!

I'm grateful to have friends that care enough about all of my ramblings to read my blog, even if they don't comment...I'm looking at you, Anita! ***waves***

I'm seeing "Religulous" this weekend with Lance. I CANNOT WAIT!!!

If Sarah Palin said the word "maverick" ONE more time during the debate tonight.....

Why do people choose to use the bathroom stall RIGHT next to mine when every single other stall in the bathroom is free? I don't get it.

I rose above today. Yes I did. I don't like balloons. Not at all. Not under any circumstances. They make loud noises when they pop and the sound of someone rubbing their fingers on them makes all the hair stand up on my body. I can literally feel my heart racing in my chest. Yet today, I found myself about a foot away from a balloon for about a 2 minute walk back to my classroom. I made it and I didn't freak out. I will conquer my irrational fear of balloons!

Okay...that's enough thinking for tonight.

Blog A Day Month

Our friend, Scott, has officially declared October "Blog A Day Month". We did it last year as well and I did okay, but I'm determined to actually do one every single day for the entire month this time. With the schedule that I'm keeping, I'm positive that I'll be able to contribute something, but some days, it probably won't be much.

My life lately has been really hectic. Work is going okay (with the exception of one person that I work with who will remain nameless) and the preschool is really great. My last day at the preschool will be on Halloween, which will allow me to start job coaching some students in the district the first week of November. I'm sad that I'm leaving but I'm super grateful for the opportunity to have worked there again...and to have worked with such amazing people!

My classes are going well. I really love both of my teachers, although I'm not crazy about the way my Spanish teacher is running her class. Because she has a lot of repeat students, she starts every new term on the page of the book that her last class left off. Her last class finished the term on page 33, meaning that my class started the current term on page 34. I'm so glad right now that I have even a little bit of a background in the language! Good thing I remember much of what I learned 15 years ago. My Excel class is great. They are teaching us Excel 2007, which means that it is the latest version of Excel. It also means that I won't get to use it outside of class because I don't know anyone (and this includes my work) that has this version of Excel. Apparently, it is much different from the 2000 and 2003 versions, so I'm not even looking at those. I'll probably confuse myself! Oh well....at least I'm learning something new!

I'm also taking a bunch of classes through the Foster Care Network, which is connected with our local community college. I've already taken a Welcome Book class with Lance and last Thursday, I went to a class entitled "The Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on the Teen Brain". Fascinating stuff! Coming up, I have CPR/First Aid, New Baby Care, An Adoption Story, Bipolar Disorder, The Developing Brain: From Infancy Through the Teen Years and a few more that I can't remember off the top of my head. I even signed up for a class through another local Adult Ed for this Saturday! I must be crazy...

There are a lot of other things that I've been up to over the last month or so (a minor league baseball game with the family, my Dad's birthday, my best friend's wedding dress shopping experience, etc.) but I'm a bit tired now to get into it all. Maybe I'll save it for my upcoming posts...Hmmm.....

That's all folks! Goodnight!

Happy Birthday Mimi!

Today would have been my grandma's 99th birthday. Happy Birthday Mimi!

I miss her terribly.

A Little Crazy

In my last post, I talked about how busy my life is going to be for the next few months. Since then, I have made it even more crazy. I accepted an offer to work at the preschool again in the afternoons starting on Tuesday. (For those of you who don't know, I worked at this same preschool for about 9 months before resigning last summer). I absolutely LOVE the people there and the kids are amazing. One of the teachers there is out on leave, so I will technically be a substitute until she comes back. I'm not sure how long that will be, but I told them that I would help them out for as long as they need me...and as long as I can handle everything on my plate! I'm excited to work with them again and I'm really flattered that they would want me back. I just hope I can keep my energy up to be able to do all of these things.

I just may be certifiably crazy.

Work was off to a rocky start this week, but the first couple of weeks are always a bit sketchy. We had all the usual problems...communication issues, bus issues (my sister-in-law will know what I'm talking about), other issues that I can't talk about here, etc. It will all come together eventually. I just have to remind myself to breathe sometimes.

I think that if I become more disciplined with exercise and getting myself to bed at a reasonable time each night, I will hopefully have an easier time with this busy schedule.

When is my next vacation????

A New School Year Begins

Today officially marked the beginning of my 9th school year working in Special Education. I can still remember the first year like it was yesterday. I was nervous, anxious, excited...all the things you're supposed to feel on your first day. Today was what we called Institute Day. It means that the entire staff gets together for meetings and workshops that last the entire day. I didn't sleep well last night. This happens to me the night before each school year. It is basically the same feeling that I had on my very first day.

While everyone else got to pick what workshops they wanted to attend today, I had to go to an all day training session with everyone else in my job classification. Our training consisted of learning techniques that they want you to use as an alternative to restraining. None of my current students have behaviors that would need restraining, but it is good for us to go through it. Some people were complaining about how "boring" the training was. I'm just happy that we actually got training.

With the start of the new school year comes a few VERY hectic, crazy, busy months. As if work doesn't keep me busy enough, I decided to sign up for 2 full term classes at the adult ed (Spanish and Excel), 1 short term class at the adult ed (Egyptology) and 8 (yes, I said 8!) classes through the county as a part of their Continuing Education Program. Luckily, the classes that I'm taking through the county are only one day classes, so they shouldn't be too bad. My calendar looks absolutely ridiculous between now and December 11. Wish me luck!

Now, I'm going to go get myself some dinner and zone out. My brain is mush!

Too Perfect

There's something about Barbara's face in this picture that just makes me laugh.

I think I know how she feels.

30...Going on 12???

At the end of this year, I'll be celebrating the big 3-0. I'm not sure that I'm quite ready to be in my 30's, but it doesn't really matter because it's inevitable. There are so many things that I have done in my 20's that I'm happy about and in other ways, I thought I would have done more. I've heard people say that the 30's are fantastic. I hope that I can say the same.

I have noticed over the last 6 months that I have had a real problem with breakouts on my forehead. What the heck is that all about? Nobody ever told me to expect that at my age! Sure, I occasionally get a pimple here or there, but a full on breakout??? I brought it up to my mom today when I was at her house and she casually responded with, "Oh yeah. It happens." WHAT??? I've been told by a few people that I have really nice skin and yet recently I feel like my skin is exactly the way it was back in junior high. I also have very fair and sensitive skin so finding products to use on my face is not always an easy (or affordable!) task. I guess I'm going to have to get a bit more diligent in my search for successful products.

So, my readers...I ask you...is there anything else I should know about?

Fun, Fun, Fun!

We got back yesterday from our cruise and it was so much fun! We're pretty exhausted today but we had a great time. Oh...and the patch that my doctor gave me for sea sickness helped! I didn't get sick at all. Thank goodness...

Catalina Island was a blast. We can't wait to go back! It was a bit cloudy in the morning but it burned off pretty early on, so we were able to enjoy a beautiful day. We decided to tour some of the island on Segways. It turned out to be one of the highlights of the week! Our tour guide, Joe, was fantastic. He was super patient and encouraging with us as we each took turns getting a lesson from him on how to ride them. It took a few minutes to get the hang of it but once you did, it was pretty easy. We got a lot of stares from people as we drove them around town. Too much fun!

Ensenada was also nice. There wasn't a lot to do there, so we tried to make the most of it. We signed up for a tour that took us to the Convention Center and to La Bufadora (the blowhole) which was about an hour away from the ship. There were A TON of vendors there trying to sell us stuff, yet they all pretty much had the same goods. We didn't have very much time there and there wasn't really any time to shop. We did walk through downtown Ensenada for a while when the tour was over. Lance found himself a bottle of hot sauce and we headed back to the ship.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love playing games. I played quite a few of them on the ship. I played Win, Lose or Draw, Bean Bag Toss, TV Theme Show Trivia and a few games of Bingo. Lance ended up winning the TV Theme Show Trivia game. It came down to a tie-breaker and Lance ended up winning. I, on the other hand, ran into some good luck while playing my first game of Bingo. I ended up being the only winner (out of a few hundred that were playing against me) and took home the ultimate prize....a free cruise!!!!!! So, now I have to decide where I want to go and when. I told Lance that he better be nice to me if he wants to go with me. Ha ha! Lance and I also did Karaoke on the last night of the cruise. We did "Love Shack", which is what we usually do at Karaoke. I think we were a hit!

I picked out the best pictures of our cruise to put on my blog. I took so many pictures that there was no way I could have posted every single one of them. So, here are the highlights. Enjoy!

Furry Friends

Lance reminded me that I needed to post a couple of new pictures of the pets...especially the one with Willy and Oliver in what appears to be a cuddle fest. It is really hard to get them to take pictures. Willy is the hardest because his reaction is to run as soon as he sees me with a camera. With Oliver, it is hard to get a picture of him with his eyes open. I'm sure it has something to do with my camera and the fact that it doesn't zoom far, so I always have to get pretty close to him to get a good one. Here they are!

Oliver and Willy

Oliver

Willy

Argos

The Half-Assed Hug

I posted this on my MySpace site a while ago and for some reason I never got around to posting it here. I always intended to, though. Enjoy!



Everyone in my family will agree with the fact that I'm a hugger. Hugs make me happy. If you ask my mom (and probably my husband), I can actually be somewhat of a cling-on at times. Actually, if you ask my sister, she will probably roll her eyes and smile in agreement, too. This is how I've always been. I have always liked touch and I've always been very affectionate. I'm not exactly sure why I'm like that. My sister was, and still is to a certain degree, the opposite. We were both loved and held just the same by our parents when we were little. Affection was always present in our household.

Because I'm like this, I have always felt awkward when someone goes to give me a hug and it ends up being half-assed. Every single time I ask myself why the person even bothers. It feels so empty and yet so forced. Do people feel obligated? Believe me, I feel no obligation to hug people, but if you're going to go for it, do it right. Act like you mean it. Nobody will ever receive a hug from me that isn't firm. When I give a hug, I mean business.

I was at a party recently where there were a lot of people that I didn't know. Most of them I had never met before. Yet most of these people were kind enough to give me a hug when saying hello. I got all different types of hugs...strong hugs, the "I'll lightly tap your shoulder blades" hug and the "I'll put my arm around you but try not to let it touch you" hugs. It was interesting. These people felt confident enough to get that close to me, yet some of them acted like they didn't want to touch me.

My point is, if you're going to give a hug to someone, give a real hug. They won't bite and they don't have cooties.

You may just make someone's day.

A Little Road Trip

Last week, Lance and I headed up to spend a couple of days with Lance's dad and his wife. It was the first time I had seen their new house since they completed it a couple of years ago. We had a lot of fun! We had some really yummy meals, went swimming and they took us up to Mt. Lassen. Aside from me getting extremely car sick on the way up, and even more so on the way down, it was really lovely. It was a really beautiful day and the temperature was perfect! It was really nice getting to spend a couple of days with them since we don't get to see them very often.

We're leaving for our cruise very early on Monday morning. I'm so excited! I went to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and he gave me a patch to wear while I'm on the boat so I don't get sea sick. I'm crossing my fingers that they work! I'm also going to be bringing some ginger related items with me, as it worked for me the last time I got sick on a boat. We're bringing ginger snaps, ginger pills and dried ginger. I also plan on drinking quite a bit of ginger ale while on ship. Hopefully it will work.

Here are a couple of pictures from our trip up to Lassen. Enjoy!

Manzanita Lake

Kings Creek Falls

Lance enjoying the scenery and falls

There was snow on the mountain...in August!

Emerald Lake. I hiked around this in slip-on flat shoes...not a good idea!

There were butterflies everywhere!

A geyser...it was pretty stinky!

Need I Say More???

A Lucky Night

Last night my bowling team (which is supposed to have 4 people but instead has only 2) beat the number one team in our league. How did we do it? We're not sure. We're completely shocked that we pulled that one off. Not only did we beat them, but we beat them at all three games and we won the series. When we saw that we were playing against them last night, we basically just told ourselves that we were just going to have fun and not let their skills intimidate us (even though they're very nice people).

Man, am I going to miss bowling when the summer league is over.

Don't ever doubt yourself! You just may be surprised.

Many The Miles

I've been listening to Sarah Bareilles for quite a while now...even before they started playing her songs a million times a day on the radio. She's definitely one of my favorite artists right now. She has a song called "Many The Miles" that I think pretty much sums up how I've been feeling about life in general for some time. Here it is:

There's too many things that I haven't done yet
Too many sunsets I haven't seen
You can't waste the day wishing it'd slow down
You would've thought by now I'd have learned something

I made up my mind when I was a young girl
I've been given this one world
I won't worry it away
But now and again I lose sight of the good life
I get stuck in a low light
But then love comes in

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
But send me the miles and I'll be happy to follow you love

I do what I can wherever I end up
To keep giving my good love
And spreading it around
Cause I've had my fair share of take care and goodbyes
I've learned how to cry
And I'm better for that

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Send me the miles and I'll be happy to follow you love

Red letter day and I'm in a blue mood
Wishing that blue would just carry me away
I've been talking to God
Don't know if it's helping or not
But surely something has got to got to got to give
Cause I can't keep waiting to live

How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
Many the miles
How far do I have to go to get to you
Many the miles
But send me the miles and i'll be happy to

There's too many things I haven't done yet
Too many sunsets I haven't seen

Time To Relax

So, last Thursday was my last day of summer school. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that I am finally on break! Not that I'm complaining...working only 4 hours a day for 20 days isn't that bad. I'm just ready to not work for a while.

Lance and I have a couple of things planned for our time off. Next Thursday, we're heading up to see Lance's dad for two nights. I haven't seen his home since they finished building it a few years ago. Lance went up there and stayed for a night last year. We don't get to see them very often, so it will be nice to visit and catch up.

We also decided against taking a road trip. I'm still a bit bummed that we're not going, but it's okay. I'll spare you all the details as to why we're not going, but we just coudn't work it out. Instead of a road trip, we decided to take a 5 day cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico with my parents in August. We opted for a 5 day because this is Lance's first cruise. Maybe we'll take a longer cruise next time if he really likes it. I think he was probably sold on it the minute I told him that there was a sushi bar on board. He told me that he plans to eat nothing but sushi on the cruise to really get our money's worth. I'm just so happy to actually be going somewhere. I love going out of town on vacation. I plan to do nothing but relax and eat the entire time. I just love cruises...

Lance talked to our social worker, Susan, a couple of weeks ago. We wanted to make sure that we hadn't slipped through the cracks or had been forgotten. She told him that we definitely have not been forgotten and that even though we looked excellent from the start of this process, we look even better now because we have been waiting so long. I guess it really shows them that we're serious about wanting to adopt. When we were going through this process, they didn't have any kind of timeline to give us as to when we could expect to be placed. Now, apparently, they are telling people that it will be at least a year before they are placed. She also hinted to him that we are close to the top of the list and told him that there were a lot of people who were in front of us and had been waiting even longer to adopt. So, even though we're not placed yet, it was nice to touch base with her and know that we're still in this. It gave Lance and I a renewed confidence that we're doing the right thing.

Have a nice weekend!

Back To Work

One of the best things about my job is all the time off you get. I have done so much over the last two weeks...it's crazy! I wrote about my first week off in my last blog. Over this last week, I have celebrated Father's Day, my sister's birthday, visited with my sister-in-law and my two adorable nephews, went to a movie, went to the outlet stores, went to a doctor appointment, went bowling and tomorrow I will be heading up to Calistoga with my best friend, Laura. Whew! I'm not sure that I've ever booked myself like this before. I'm enjoying every minute of it, though.

I know I'm probably a total nerd by talking about this, but I absolutely love bowling. Every Tuesday when I get home, I'm just happy. I'm having a blast! The people there are so nice and everyone is so supportive and encouraging. Some people there are pretty hardcore and then there are people like me who are there just to have a good time. I'm so happy to have chosen this "new experience" this year.

Summer school starts on Monday. As much as I could moan and groan about how I have to go back to work, I'm actually looking forward to it. I miss the students. I'm sure I'll be ready for that month long break when it's over, though. I really can't complain, though. How many other people only have to work 10 months out of the year?

Lance has been busy this week. He is taking a professional development course to bump him up on the pay scale. He's taking an art class that allows him to be creative and learn some art history, which is right up his alley. He seems to really be enjoying the class.

We are considering taking a road trip this summer. We don't get to go out of town very often, so we thought it would be fun. I keep going back and forth about it because of the gas prices. Airline prices are so high right now, so flying somewhere doesn't seem to be an option, either. I probably need to just stop thinking about it and just do it. More on our little adventure when we've figured out the details...

My bowling shoes have arrived!!!!

I am happy, happy, happy, happy.......

Summer Break!

I realized today that it has been a while since my last blog. I've actually been quite busy, but that's no excuse. It really doesn't take long to post an update!

Last Tuesday (June 3) was my last day of the school year. I am very happy to be on break, but after a week of not seeing my students, I'm beginning to miss them . I'm working summer school this year which starts on June 23. I actually like working summer school, although this summer is going to be a bit more challenging than others have been. As of right now, we only have one teacher for 24 students. Yes...I said 24 students. CRAZY!!!! Anyone who works in special education can sympathize with our situation. I won't go into the details on here about what is going on with the administration behind the scenes and how they handle things, but I'm hoping that they find another teacher. The one that is offically teaching is pretty stressed out about the situation...and I don't blame her!

I've seen quite a few movies in the last few weeks. Actually, all of the recent movies that I have seen have been fantastic! I'm always so happy when I walk out of the theater feeling like I've seen something great. I've seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Sex and the City (twice!), Young At Heart and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This Friday, Lance and I will head out to see The Incredible Hulk. I'm crossing my fingers BIG TIME that it is better than the last Hulk movie. There are a few other movies that are coming out this summer that I'm looking forward to seeing. Man...what a great time for movies!!!

So, other than seeing some incredible movies lately, I also went to a wedding last weekend and on Monday, I got the most amazing massage by my boyfriend...er....I mean Massage Therapist, Marco. That man does amazing things with his hands....in the most appropriate, totally professional way, of course! =) Seriously, though...if any of you are looking for a really great massage at an unbelievable price, let me know. I can hook you up big time!

Two years ago, I decided that I needed to challenge myself to try new things. I felt that I needed to experience or do something each year that I have never done before. I told myself that it didn't matter what it was...whether it was taking a class, going to a new destination, trying a new hobby, etc. Last year that challenge was working a second job at a preschool. I definitely had never done that before and it was such an amazing experience! Not only did I get to experience a new work environment, I also met some amazing people and I feel that I have new friends for life! This year, I decided to join a bowling league. Yes, that's right people...once a week, I am bowling! I had my second session last night and I have to tell you...I am having a blast! It is so much fun. The people are so nice and everyone is having so much fun. It is really nice being a part of something like that.

Well, that's about it for now. I have some other fun things on my calendar that I will write about once they happen. I'll be heading up to see my sister-in-law and nephews tomorrow. I'm so excited! I don't get to see them that much, so when I do get to, it's always really special.

Happy Wednesday!

Losing My Mind

Ever since I was little, I always had good manners. My parents instilled in us at an early age that it is important to be polite to people, no matter who it is or where you are. I've always been shocked at the lack of manners that some people have at the movie theater. People are always putting their shoes on the chairs in front of them, kicking the chairs, talking to each other, talking on the cell phone, etc. It gets super annoying. However, I think my experience at the movie theater tonight takes the cake.

Scott, Lance and I went and saw Indiana Jones tonight. I kid you not...throughout the ENTIRE movie, I had to listen to the lady in the row behind me smack her flippin' gum!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was about to go completely insane! She came into the movie with a guy who sat next to her the entire time who said nothing to her. There is no way that I could stand it if Lance was doing that. I turned around to look at her a few times and realized that not only was the sound of it annoying, she looked ridiculous, too! Every once in a while, she would stop for a second...POP her gum...then continue smacking it. Oh my gosh...I'm not sure that I've EVER been so frustrated in the movie theater. It took everything I had in me to not throw my slushee at her. (And I'm not a violent person).

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me the importance of being polite. Hopefully I will never find myself as the topic of a stranger's blog for something totally annoying that I have done!

Heat Wave

The last two days have been SOOOO hot here. I'm ready to look for somewhere to live in the Arctic Circle! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a fan of hot weather. I'm okay until it reaches above 80 degrees. Then I become a sweaty, irritable mess. Today it "cooled off" into the mid-90s. It was still way too hot for my taste. Yesterday, my class went on an outing and we were all miserable. I think everyone was relieved when the day was over and we could go home. We don't have air conditioning in my classroom, so we've been working with the lights off and the fans on since Thursday. My poor students!

The last couple of weeks have been really good. Busy, but good. Two weeks ago, we got complimentary tickets to go see Duran Duran in concert. They put on an awesome show! Lance, Bre, a coworker of mine and I went and had a blast. I didn't think it was going to be as good as it was. Last weekend, I went to see Alicia Keys in concert with a couple of my old coworkers from the Preschool I worked at last year. I LOVED getting together with these ladies and catching up. I feel so lucky to still be in contact with them even though I'm not working with them anymore. So fun!

Mother's Day turned out to be a nice day. We weren't able to do much since my mom had worked the night before and she was supposed to work again that night, but we did find time to spend together. We took her out to breakfast early in the morning. Then she went home to sleep for a few hours before we took her out to P.F. Changs for dinner. After dinner, we went back to my parent's house for cake and ice cream. I must have gained 10 pounds from all the eating we did that day!

This year our 6th wedding anniversary fell on Mother's Day. Since I went to the concert the night before, we decided to celebrate our anniversary last night and today. Last night, we went out to a yummy dinner at Zio Fraedos, courtesy of my parents. It was delicious! We go there maybe once a year and it has always been really good. Then today we went to the Indian buffet for lunch and went to see a movie afterward (Forgetting Sarah Marshall). It was nice to spend the day with Lance and just hang out. Lance bought me some beautiful roses last weekend that have now, unfortunately, fallen victim to the heat. I should have taken a picture of them when he brought them home. I love my hubby!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day. Of course, I tried to get a picture of me and Lance also, but it didn't quite work. So much for trying!

I love my Mom!

Bre and Mom

I don't even remember why we were laughing!

But we couldn't stop!

I thought my Mom was going to start crying from laughing so hard!

She's still laughing...

Finally!

It takes me "scolding" him to get him to smile...

...and yet, this is what I get. Gotta love him!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Last weekend, Lance finally decided that it was time to do something about his hair. I never had a problem with it but it was becoming apparent that he was starting to. He started getting pretty self conscious about it years ago when it started thinning out. He has been wanting to cut it off for a while now, but it's always hard to take that step and actually do it since you never know how it's going to turn out. Today, I took the electric shaver and we did it. We cut it off. I love it! It's nice and soft. I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off of it. I think he's pretty happy with it, too.

I'm starting to finally feel a bit better. I've been sick now for a couple of weeks but it got really bad last weekend. I ended up taking last Monday and Tuesday off of work because I couldn't break my fever. They were my first sick days of the entire school year! It has been horrible...fever, aches, congestion, headache. I'm still feeling a bit weak and I still have a cough, so that's a bit annoying. My dad ended up calling my house last Monday evening and he didn't even know who he was talking to on the phone because I sounded so bad! Thanks, Dad.

Our bathroom is almost finished. I'm so excited! My Dad only has one more day to come over, which will be in a couple of weeks, and then it's done. We only have to install the shower walls and change out the faucet. It will be so nice to have our bathroom back again!

Water Weight

Today, while job coaching two students in the dining room of a senior residential facility, one of my students turns to me and, out of the blue, decides to tell me, "Ummm...Kirsti, my mom said that I cannot talk to you about water weight."

Now, I wasn't sure if she meant that she cannot talk to ME specifically about water weight or if she meant ME, the person who is sitting right next to her. It did make me wonder, though, if I happened to come up in her conversations with her mom about diet. I know I'm not the skinniest person around. I definitely have my share of pudge. My student has been very obsessive about food and constantly reminds us that she is on a "diet" even though she is, in my opinion, a very healthy weight and looks fantastic. (I think it's more that her parents want her to make healthy choices, which is great). She has never told me to my face that I am overweight, but she is very intelligent and I wouldn't be surprised if the thought ran through her mind from time to time.

So, just in case any of you were wondering...I'm not pudgy...I'm just retaining a lot of water.

Yeah...that's it!

One Year

Today marks the official one year mark since Lance and I completed the homestudy for the adoption. It was exactly one year ago today that our social worker came to our house and did the home inspection. In some ways, it feels that it wasn't really that long ago. In other ways, I feel like we've been going through this process for a decade. I think that whenever the phone rings with the news that we've been waiting so long for, it's going to feel surreal. I no longer come home and run to the answering machine to see if Susan has called. I think it truly will be a surprise when it happens. It will happen...I just have to remind myself of that sometimes.

I came back from spring break and had a bit of a stressful week at work last week. Now that is over and I can move on to better days. Only 7 1/2 more weeks of work until summer break. Yipee! I applied to work summer school this year. The schedule is really awesome, so I'm actually looking forward to working this summer quite a bit. I'm off work by noon everyday AND I don't have to work Fridays (except for the first week). Woo hoo!

I've come down with a bit of a cold/something annoying this week. I'm not totally sure what it is, but I feel like I've been in slow motion all week. One of my students came in to school on Monday totally sick. He has been sneezing and coughing all over the classroom all week. My teacher and I looked at each other on Monday and said to each other that we were next. We were right. He's sick, too. Two more students have fallen ill this week as well. Whatever it is, it is sitting between my ears and giving me quite the pressure in my sinuses and a slight headache. Whether it is allergies or a cold, I'm not sure. I just want it to go away.

Everything else has been going really well with us. Nothing much new to report. Lance took me out to dinner tonight to a yummy Peruvian restaurant that is fairly new in the area. The cat and dog are continuing their love affair, which includes loving each other more than they love us. Oliver actually prefers hanging out with Willy over us! Whatever. Lance and I were joking the other day that we didn't adopt the cat for US...we adopted him for Willy!

Silly pets.

Back To Reality

I woke up this morning and realized that I have come to the end of my Spring Break. I have to admit that I was pretty lazy this week. Actually, I did a lot this week but I wasn't as productive at home as I would have liked to have been.

I had a doctor appointment earlier in the week. I'm so happy to report that my blood pressure continues to be fantastic! We finally found the perfect combination of meds that have been working perfectly for me, so my doctor and I are very happy with the situation.

I had a massage with Marco this week. That guy gives the best massages! If anyone in my area is looking for a very reasonably priced one hour massage, let me know. I have a couple of his cards that I will gladly hand out.

I went to IKEA with a friend of mine from work. She had never been there before and I was itching to buy a new bedspread for our master bedroom. I think it was probably overwhelming for her (who isn't overwhelmed by the size of that place?) but we got through it. We had lunch there, too. Mmm...Swedish meatballs!

On Thursday night, I went out to see The Spazmatics with my sister, Jon and his brother. Lots of fun! Lance couldn't make it out to the show because he had to work on Friday (they don't start playing until about 10:15pm). I'm sure we'll make it to a bunch of shows this summer.

On Monday, I started tracking the food that I'm eating through a website called SparkPeople.com. My cousin told me about the site last week when I was in L.A. I'm happy to report that I've lost 2 pounds this week (woo hoo!) and I'm finding it actually pretty easy to follow. I'm not really on a DIET (that has always been a scary word for me) but I'm learning to take responsibility for the things that I put in my mouth. I really like the site because it tells you how many calories, fat, protein, etc. I should be eating each day. I plug in what I've eaten that day into the site and it calculates all of my intake. They also gave me a goal weight that should be accomplished in the next year. It was a very reasonable goal weight and one that I feel I can accomplish. Other sites told me that I should be 115 pounds...I don't think so. For me, that's not exactly realistic. We'll see if this website works for me.

Tonight I'm going out to dinner with the director of the preschool that I worked at last year. She's super cool and really fun to hang out with! I'm sure we're going to have a great time. I miss working with her.

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

L.A. Pictures

You can't go to L.A. without going to In-N-Out Burger!

Yummy!

Justin and Jeri...how cute are they?

We love our slushies!

Me and Bre

My dad's siblings

Uncle Travis, Aunt Kathleen, Dad and Auntie Kirsti

Me, Bre and Justin

My little cousin isn't so little anymore!

Mom, Dad, Auntie Kirsti, Uncle Ernie, Aunt Aleta and Uncle Travis

Bre, Me, Erica and Matthew

Me and Linnea (with Shirrell sneaking in)

Justin, Erica, Me, Shirrell, Bre, Linnea, Jeri and Matthew

I love my cousins!

2 Years

Today marks the two year anniversary of Mimi's passing. At times, I can't believe that she has been gone for that long! My mom, sister and I are going to Mimi's Cafe tomorrow for lunch to remember and celebrate her. She loved that restaurant (and the name is fitting, as well). Boy, do I miss her terribly.

My trip to L.A. last weekend went really well. I had a blast going to Disneyland and hanging out with my relatives that I don't get to see very often. We ate a lot, played some games and spent a lot of time taking pictures and laughing. I so wish that all lived closer so that we could get together more often. We all get along so well and really enjoy each other's company. I hope that I'll get to see them again soon.

My grandpa's funeral was sad, but that's usually the case. I volunteered to read Psalm 23 during the service. I was originally asked to sing, but I had a hard time finding a song and since it has been so long since I've sang anything, it was hard finding something that I'd be comfortable with. So when I heard that they were looking for someone to read that passage, I told them that I'd do it. We had a lunch reception after the service was over. I got to meet some family on my grandpa's side that I had never met before, so that was a real treat. It turned out to be a nice farewell to my grandpa.

I'm really enjoying my week off of work. I think I really needed this break (but who doesn't, right?). I'll only have 8 1/2 more weeks of work when Spring Break is over. This school year sure seems like it has flown by. I know there are going to be a lot of changes next year and I'm hoping for the best!

As soon as I upload my pictures to the computer, I'll post them from my trip last weekend. Happy Spring!

A Busy Weekend

Weeks ago, my sister and I decided to head down to L.A. at the end of this week to spend time with relatives and to go to Disneyland. Now the plans include attending my grandpa's funeral on Saturday and we will see many, many more relatives than we originally planned on seeing. It will be nice to see everyone. It is always too bad that it takes circumstances like this to bring all of us together.

My grandpa would have been 90 years old at the end of this year. That's a pretty good, solid life if you ask me. He was cremated and as of now, I'm not quite sure what the family is going to do with his ashes. We will be having a service at a church near my aunt and uncle's house and my cousin's father-in-law will be doing the service.

I'm a bit sad that I didn't know my grandpa better. I saw him occasionally when I was growing up but since we didn't live close, he didn't make many efforts to get to know me and my sister. He would get occasional updates about us from my southern California relatives, I guess, but that was about all. I remember getting Christmas cards from him with the usual $5 bill tucked inside but that was about it. My grandpa on my mom's side passed away before I was born, so I never had a chance to know him (although many people tell me it was better that way...he was a pretty abusive alcoholic). My grandpa did, however, come to my wedding almost 6 years ago. I do feel grateful that 3 of my grandparents were able to attend my big day.

Anyway, it will be nice to spend time with all of my family. Car trips with Bre are always a laugh, too. I'll be sure to bring my camera along.

My Grandpa

My mom called just a little while ago to let me know that my Grandpa passed away last night. He is now my third relative to pass away in 5 months. I don't really have any details right now as to how he passed or what kinds of services are going to happen. I was planning a trip to L.A. during the last weekend in March, but that will probably be moved up a week now and it will be for a completely different reason.

I don't really have much else to say at the moment. I'm a little numb.

Friends

Back in high school I had a lot of friends. I have so many memories of the group I used to hang out with. We would all load up in my van and go to baseball games on the weekends or get together for volleyball games in my backyard. We were all part of the different clubs on campus and sports teams. I even had one friend in high school who declared herself the mascot of the girl's tennis team just so she could come see us play (and get out of 6th period once a week). It was a really fun time.

Then we all graduated and everyone went their separate ways. I am one of the few who stayed in the area where I grew up. It has been really hard keeping in contact with everyone since we're all so busy with our daily lives. Most people who I want to keep in contact with are in other states (and one in another country) so it has been hard to stay current.

I have to admit that it has been really hard for me to make new friends since high school. I have become much more introverted and less social. I have also made some friends since high school that have fizzled out for one reason or another, making it hard for me to want to put in the effort. It's not that I don't want relationships. I just don't want them if they're going to be one sided. I always get excited when I reconnect with someone which is, most of the time, through MySpace or Facebook. Unfortunately, it never really pans out to more than a quick "catch-up" email or an occasional "hello".

This weekend, I spent some time with someone that I consider to be one of my closest friends. She's also one of my newest friends. Looking back on it, I realize that she is the one who made the most effort to get to know me and be my friend. I feel really lucky to know that I have another person in my life that is a genuine friend. I now realize that it's not important to have lots of friends but more important to have quality friends. I'm happy to say that I have that.

To all my friends who I don't get to talk to or see often, know that I think of you all the time and hope that you're doing well. I miss all of you terribly. You all know who you are.

Budget Cuts

As I'm sure all of you have heard, the governor has proposed a budget that, if passes, will have a devastating effect on our public schools. Many people were handed pink slips this week. Too many, in fact. In my small school district, two severely handicapped teachers were given pink slips and at least 4 instructional assistants in SH....that I know of.

My job is not in jeopardy as I have been with my district long enough to have quite a bit of senority (especially with the turnover of instructional assistants...people aren't lining up for my job!). However, I'm fairly certain that my hours are going to be cut again this year. Last year, my hours were cut from 7 hours per day to 6.5 hours per day. It looks like I may be down to 6 hours per day in August. This doesn't sound like much, but one half hour per day turns into quite a lot at the end of the month. On top of this, it means that what I will pay in medical insurance will go up again, being that I pay more in medical when my hours go down. As a result, my paychecks are roughly $300 less per month just because of this and will go down another $300 a month come August.

I feel that I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I really love my job and don't want to quit. This year has been a pretty good one overall. However, I don't feel that I'm living up to my financial obligation at home if I don't bring in more money (that is my issue...Lance has never said a word about me finding another job or bringing in more money. He's very supportive and wants me to have a job where I am happy.) So, my options are to stay with my current job and possibly find a second job again or find another job altogether. Again, this is something that I'm struggling with myself and not something that I'm being pressured about by anyone else. I don't want to give anyone the impression that we're hurting for money or that we're not making ends meet. I just want to be more comfortable...especially with a little one coming.