HELLO 2009!!!

Can you believe another year is over??

This year seems to have flown by for me....

well, now that i'm here anyway. during the year,

it seemed it would not go by fast enough.

personally, i have felt pretty darn miserable

this year. but my migraine disorder seems

to be manageable now, and i am deeply grateful

for that!!

In comparison to what my friend Carla went through

in 08, i can NOT complain!! I am praying that

she will only experience POSITIVE things in 09!!

So, what do i want to accomplish this year? I've compiled

a list. My philosophy is to set MORE goals than you

think you can accomplish...that way you'll at least

accomplish some of them! LOL! =)

So, here goes.....my LENGTHY list of goals for 2009:

1. Lose 100 pounds.
2. Exercise daily.
3. Eat more fresh foods/ less processed foods.
4. Go to church more often.
5. Read at least 1 book a month.
6. Stick to our weekly budget.
7. Spend less money eating out....by eating out less!
8. Send birthday cards.
9. Get family pictures taken.
ADIOS #10. Take a picture every day to document life. xxxxxxxxx not doing this one anymore.
11. Clean and declutter EVERY room of the house...get rid of any broken or unused items.
12. Organize my office and keep it that way.
13. Maintain a schedule both at home and work.
14. Wake up earlier.
15. Go to bed earlier.
16. Find non-food ways to celebrate success.
17. Set small goals and reward myself for reaching them.
18. Be more active/ less lazy.
19. Help with the laundry more often.
20. Assign weekly chores for the kids to do....and make them do the chores.

21. Spend more time listening to my friends' problems than talking about my own.

22. Make time to scrap more....possibly when I'm feeling hungry or wanting to snack.

23. Go on a vacation with my family.

i've been tagged

iris tagged me & i have to tell you
7 random things about myself.....

here goes.....

1. i can't shop without touching
everything i see. it's crazy, because
i'll even feel the boxes & cans in the
grocery store! (no wonder my kids
don't listen when i tell them not to
touch) lol!

2. i still have the 1st scrapbook
magazine i ever bought from June 2003...
it's a CK mag & although i never look
at it anymore...i'll never part with it.
that's when my scrappy engine was
lit!! ;) i bought it while on maternity
leave with daniela. she was only
days old when i purchased it.

3. i just got a red blackberry curve &
i'm in love~~~~~ <3 i've been
drooling over this phone for quite
some time & i got an AWESOME
deal at Sam's! woohoo!

4. my husband & i have plans to
buy an RV when we retire & travel
the country on one BIG giant ROAD
TRIP!! =) (of course that's a Looooooong
ways away)

5. i used to collect Eeyores & have over
100 stuffed ones from the Disney Store.

6. i always save the fortunes from
the cookies i get at my fave chinese
restaraunt. i've used a couple on layouts,
and plan to use more. sunday when we
went, i actually got THREE in ONE cookie!
oh yeah, i hit the jackpot!! =)

7. i do not own any sort of die cutting machine....
from old to new, i've never invested in
any of them. i'm afraid i wouldn't use them
much, becuz i would never use the same
font on every layout & buying multiple
alphabets is too expensive.

so, hope you had fun learning 7 more things
about me....now i am tagging kathy & michele! =)

blog challenge

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you’ and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan - lived there
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites - Suri Castle, Okinawa, Japan
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
96. Raised children (or…raising children)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (cumulatively)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating(only if fish count)
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

uniquely me

so, carla posted another blog challenge...
this one is in preparation for the "All
About Me" online crop coming in March.

if you had to identify me, what markings
would you look for?? well, the most
noticeable is a tattoo on my right ankle.
next would be a mole in my inner left thigh.
what else? i have a c-section scar,
and a small scar in my belly button.
oh, and stretch marks....LOL! =)
i think that's about it.

the perfect valentine

just dreaming here.....
the perfect valentine's day would
begin with jesse & i in a room by
the beach....not any ordinary beach,
but a crystal white sandy beach with
refreshing turquoise water.....a few boulders
thrown in would be a nice touch to hear the
waves crashing against them.....ahhhh....
are you there?

then the doors to our bungalow would be
wide open & white cotton sheet-like curtains
would be blowing in the ocean breeze.....
unscented white candles would be glowing
all around us....and the rest i'll leave to my
imagination. :)

08's Gotta Be GREAT! =)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!! *confetti streaming down*

this time of year i'm actually not very

happy. after all the festivities, i feel a

little blue. so, instead of the christmas

blues, i get the new year's blues.

i'm hoping to actually make sticky resolutions

this year, though...maybe that will help

lift my mood!! =)

as part of a challenge on SAL...i've included the

layout i did for my resolutions. =)

peace.

all i want for christmas is.....

YOU!!! :) I love that song...but hmmmm.....
if i could have ANYthing for christmas it would
be.......hmmm...well, i can't really think of anything.
that's odd. i guess becuz i just ordered scrappy stuff
from SAL & that's really all i want right now! :)

christmas memories

today's blog challenge, brought to you
by carla @ SAL. ;)

what are your favorite things about the
holidays?

there are so many things
that i looooove about this time
of year-----
SIGHTS:
lights
pine cones
snowmen
stars
angels
trees
ornaments

SOUNDS:
christmas music
salvation army bells
nativity story

SMELLS:
cinnamon
live trees
fresh baked goodies

but one of my favorite things is
the memory of christmases past....
my grandma was in the salvation
army for years....and so her
fave christmas song was
"Silver Bells". everytime i hear
that song, i'm reminded of her.

isn't it a great time
to let someone know how much
you love them & what a "gift" they
are to you???

i *heart* christmas! ;)

32 things to do before I turn 33

Oh my! What a challenge! Elsie posted
a challenge to list all the things you want
to do before your next birthday! the kick
is you have to do the # of things that
corresponds to your age. for example,
i'm 32- about to turn 33...so i have to do
32 things! so, let me start thinking.....

my b-day is only a couple of months away...
so i really better get started on these! ;)

1. lose 20 pounds.
2. submit to at least FIVE scrapbook calls.
3. learn the lyrics to all the songs from the movie HAIRSPRAY.
4. go on a date with my daughter, angelica.
5. go on a date with my son, jesus.
6. go on a date with my daughter, daniela.
7. go on a date with my husband.
8. stay off the computer for ONE whole day- find something else to do.
9. walk (for exercise) 3 times a week.
10. call someone instead of sending them an email.
11. purge my house from all junk!
12. smile when someone annoys me.
13. go to michigan for the scrap-a-latte DT retreat.
14. practice & master a new photography technique.
15. learn at least FIVE new scrapping/cardmaking techniques.
16. pray more.
17. go to bed earlier.
18. wake up earlier.
19. stop living so carefree-get on a schedule.
20. find a way to help someone.
21. clean out our closets & donate the clothes to the salvation army.
22. help my daughter angelica make a scrapbook.
23. write out a budget/plan for angelica's quinceanera & start working on it!
24. remember to call friends/family on their birthdays!
25. be a better housekeeper- stay caught up on laundry & cleaning.
26. limit my computer time to certain hours of the day, so i can concentrate on my family.
27. read at least ONE book.
28. make a point to tell each of my kids something they did GOOD each day!!
29. compliment people more often.
30. set a scrap budget & stick to it.
31. buy something not scrap-related.
32. remember to take my meds everyday.

wow! that actually wasn't as hard as I thought.
some of these will be a challenge & others I just
need to DO! so....i'm ready to go! :)
thanx for the challenge, elsie!!

yet to accomplish

another blog challenge from my pal
carla at SAL....what ONE thing do you
want to accomplish in your life that you
haven't yet???

gosh, there are so many things. but
tonite, ONE thing stands out in my
mind. I want a BIG "wedding"
ceremony with all my family & friends!
and I want PROFESSIONAL pics & LOTS
of them!! the 1st time around, we spent...
let's see....about $125 for our entire wedding.
when we renew our vows, I want everything
we didn't have the 1st time around....
my OWN dress, REAL flowers, a PRO to
take pics, a REAL reception with dinner
& dancing, coordinating dresses for the
bridesmaids (in the color of MY choice!),
even # of girls & guys....gosh, the more I think
about it...there are a LOT of things I would
change about my wedding!! :) the only thing
I wouldn't change??? THE GROOM!!! ;)

searching for peace

carla posted another blog challenge...
what brings you peace OR what makes
you feel peaceful???

with 3 kids & 3 dogs & of course, a husband...
"peace" is usually not in my vocabulary or
existence! i really had to ponder this question,
becuz everyone needs some peaceful moments.
so, when do i get mine? well, if you find out,
let ME know!! LOL!! :)

seriously, though, listening to my ipod....staying
up after everyone's gone to bed....scrapping....
silence....browsing through scenery pics....all
these things bring some peace into my life....and
probably help keep me sane. [or at least not
commitable! :)]

who matters most?

i was challenged to blog about the person
that has impacted my life the most. i've
had so many people whose lives have crossed
paths with mine.

but only ONE has profoundly changed me,
loved me unconditionally, given me the
courage to face my demons, supported me
in searching for my biological father, cried
with me when there were no words left
to be said, held me when i couldn't stand
on my own, breathed with me while i was
experiencing the worse pain of my life,
reminded me to not take life so seriously,
laughed with me when that was the only
medicine left to try, stood by me when i
was the most horrible emotional wreck
imaginable, and is more to me than i
ever knew i needed.....my husband, jesse.

i love you, babe! forever isn't even long enough
with you! xoxoxoxo

my fave blogs

so, we were challenged on scrap-a-latte
a while back to blog about our favorite blogs.

well, i forgot to do that. so, i'm doing it now.
i love reading so many blogs. i have 25 of
them bookmarked on my computer!

so, narrowing my faves down is pretty hard
to do. but, my current fave as of THIS
moment is.......drumroll, please...........

Ali Edwards! You can click on the link to the
right of my page to see what she's blogging
about. She inspires me in so many ways.
Just reading her posts....seeing her pics.....
browsing her layouts.....I find SOOOO much
inspiration! Go check her out!! :)

angels among us?

This is a true story. It happened to me
& my husband back in July of 1993. I
was 8 months pregnant & Jjesse's grandma,
who lived in San Antonio was very ill. They didn't
expect her to make it & were calling all
the relatives to come home. We were
stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC at the time.
We drove a 1986 Pontiac Grand Am that seemed
to be running fine, even though it had over
100k miles on it.

We didn't have the money to spend the nite
anywhere, so we were going to drive straight through-
from Jacksonville, NC, (which is on the coast)
allllllllllll the way to San Antonio, Texas. Now, this was
before the internet & mapquest....so we really weren't
sure how long it would take us....but according to our calculations
from the atlas, it would be around 24 hours.

the road trip started out uneventful....other than
having to stop every 30 miles or so for me to relieve
my smushed up bladder! One of the stops was in
Jacksonville, FL. We thought it was funny &
remarked about how we had driven for
several hours & were back where we started....
jacksonville. anyway, we were 18...it
seemed funny then. *rolleyes*

being impossibly bloated from sitting & feeling
the sticky heat during the hottest part of the
summer, i was miserable. so i waddled
inside the gas station & returned with an empty
& somewhat happier bladder! Jesse tried to start
the car so we could get back on the road, but it
wouldn't start. The engine didn't turn over, no clicking,
no noise...just silence. it was completely dead.

Jesse popped the hood & started "inspecting" everything.
We took turns cranking the key, trying desperately
to get the car started. After being there for almost an hour and
stressing over what to do, we STILL couldn't get it started!
By this time, panic mode was starting to set in....we were stranded.

After pacing around a bit, and uttering some expletives,
Jesse & I notice this decrepit & scraggly man wobbling
towards us.....slowwwwwwly. He obviously couldn't move
very well, though he didn't look very old. His clothes were
dingy looking, his dark blonde hair unkempt, and he was just
generally scraggly looking.

Simultaneously, Jesse & I were thinking the same thing-
"Oh, great! What does THIS guy want?"

It seemed like it took him an eternity to finally approach
the front of the car. Jesse told me to wait inside while
he checked to see what this guy wanted. So i did. But,
being the hot, sticky summertime, I left the driver's
door open in hopes of feeling some burst of wind on my
face.

I heard the guy when he asked Jesse, "What's a matter
with your car?" His speech was garbled as if he was not
mentally competent or at best had a severe impedement.
Jesse dismissingly said, "Oh, nothing. Our car just
won't start."

The guy then asks Jesse if he has a screw driver.
Jesse says, "Yeah. I've got one in the trunk." As he passed
by me on his way to the trunk, he rolled his eyes at me.
Ii knew what he was thinking....becuz i was thinking it too.
This guy doesn't have a clue. A screwdriver? What the heck
is a screw driver gonna do??

Jesse brought him the screwdriver & the guy took it
from him. Carefully watching him, Jesse saw him stick
it in an unlikely spot. The man proceeded to say, "Start
the car." Hesitantly, Jesse nodded at me to give it a try.
I did as the guy asked. I turned the key and simultaneously
sparks flew from underneath the hood. At that instant,
the car started!! It was incredible! We both looked at each
other in disbelief. Could this crippled & seemingly simple-minded
man really know what he was talking about?? We were amazed
and a tad bit humbled at that point.

Jesse slammed the hood closed and starting dusting his hands
off. He turned to face the guy and started to utter, "Than...."
but the guy was gone......vanished, really. I can't explain
it. I saw the guy there as the hood was lowered, but
when Jesse turned to thank him, he was just....gone!

Jesse asked me, "Where did he go?" I shrugged.
We looked in all directions, expecting to find him stumbling
away....after all, he was crippled, right?
But we couldn't find him....he was nowhere in sight.
He had simply shown up the moment we needed
help & then disappeared....to who knows where.

We immediately got goosebumps & chuckled at each
other. It was that nervous what-the-heck-just-happened
kind of laugh when something incredibly unbelievable
or unexpected happens. We then thanked God
for sending him our way.

We have re-told this story many times since that day,
and we both feel like he could have been an angel.
An angel in disguise- a person we would have never
suspected to be able to help us.
Yet, he did.

I still get goosebumps when I relive that
encounter. It proves that God can use even the most
unlikely person in an extraordinary way!

If you've ever received a random act of kindness, I'd love
to hear about it. With all the crime, hate, and despair
in the world, it's comforting to know good things
still happen!

my fave vacation spot...eva!

let me tell you about a beautiful
place with crystal white sands,
crystal clear aqua waters, and
beautiful condominiums....Panama
City Beach, Florida!! we took the
kids last june & wish we could go
back EVERY single year! it was
THAT great! the water was perfect,
and we relaxed on the beach & in our
condo. i'm sure there are other things
to do...and we did go on a sunset cruise
to shell island which was magnificent!...
but the BEST part for us was just
chillin' & takin' in the scenery off our
HUGE private balcony!! Ahhhhh....
if only we were there now......*sigh*

*little things i just COULDN'T live without*

hmmm....i can think of MANY things
that make my life sweeter! so, in no
particular order, here are the things
i don't EVER wanna live without! ;)

air
my husband
my kids
my dogs
my SAL pals
the internet
my cell phone
DVR on my dish receiver
clothes
deodorant (trust me, you don't want me to live without this, either!)
toothbrush/toothpaste
shampoo
soap
toilet paper!! He-LLO!
oh yeah, chocolate!! definitely chocolate!
coffee
water
my meds...tried that before...not pretty!
music
scrapbooking
my hundreds of pics & albums & scrapbooks
my teeth...i'm pretty sure eating wouldn't be the same without them
mexican food....this IS one of the five food groups after all! ;)
my computer
my printer/scanner
my camera....oh yeah!! duh...this should have been higher on my list!
movies.....they're so much fun!
okay...i think i'll stop here. i guess i'm pretty spoiled! i like LOTS of stuff
& can't imagine living without any of it!! LOL!! i know i could if
i had to, but who wants to do that?? :)

*if only i had 3 wishes*

so, what if i rubbed a rusted
brass oil bottle? do you think
a genie would appear & grant
me 3 wishes? if so, what would
i wish for? wealth? fame?

i know you have to be careful
what you wish for, becuz you
don't always like what you get.

so, after careful consideration,
here's what i would wish for.....

1. Good health for me & my loved ones
FOR LIFE!

2. Enough money to pay off my house

3. The power to FORGET!!

so, there you have it. nothing too flashy,
but boy would it make my life easier! :)

*i am blog challenged*

Okay, so on my favorite site....
Scrap-A-Latte....Veronica is posting
a weekly blog challenge. This is a
SUPA idea, becuz I need help blogging!

This week's prompt: List all the things
that have happened to you ONLY ONCE
in your entire lifetime! WOW! This is
a tough one....i think I'll be coming back
to edit this often. :)

Here goes:

1. Married ONCE
2. Lived outside of Arkansas ONCE
3. Visited Sea World ONCE
4. Played a boy in a play ONCE
5. Flew in a 6 seater plane ONCE
6. Gone to Mexico ONCE
7. Flew out of the U.S. ONCE
8. Hyperventilated during a basketball game ONCE
9. Saw the Thunderbirds ONCE
10. Was a page for the state of Arkansas at the National Republican Women's Committee ONCE
11. Took the kids to Orlando ONCE
12. Visited the Houston Space Center ONCE
*edited to add more*
13. Had a C-section ONCE
14. Interviewed a football coach ONCE
15. Sang off-key while performing at someone else's wedding ONCE (and still managed to get paid, even though i tried to refuse....i am still horrified by this experience....but they claimed i covered it well)
16. Got paid $500 for singing 2 songs ONCE
17. Forgot the lyrics while I was singing to my husband on our wedding day ONCE
18. Wrote a letter to President Reagan ONCE
19. Took a private-after hours tour of the White House & West Wing ONCE (just Jesse, my dad, and me)
20. Snapped an illegal picture of the Presidential quarters ONCE (shhhhhh.....)
21. Kept my cousin's pregnancy a secret ONCE
22. Wrote letters to the editor under an alias ONCE (until my mom caught me & made me stop)
23. Had a job as a radio announcer ONCE
24. Faked an injury to get out of line drills during b-ball practice ONCE (coach found out & boy did i pay!)
25. Filed for unemployment ONCE

25.

Okay....more to come.