Quote of the day

“A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it.”

― Albert Einstein

Song lyrics of the day

(Yes I know it's not Christmas, but these are totally relevant!)

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've got no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!!

Oh, it doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've brought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The fire is slowly dying
And my dear were still good-by-ing
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm

Oh, it doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've brought some corn for popping
Since the lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm

The fire is slowly dying
And my dear were still good-by-ing
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Quote of the day

Accio Brain!

 

— J.K. Rowling

Snow day

Well, it finally started snowing last night around 6:30pm or so.  It didn't snow for long and it didn't do much to dump a lot of the white stuff on us.  In fact, we only got about an inch or so of accumulation.  Just for good measure, I wanted to share this picture:

Pretty much my favorite animal...

Bred for it's skills in magic.

Quote of the day

There’s nothing worse than waiting and not knowing what’ll happen to you. Your own imagination can be crueler than any captor.

 

— Richelle Mead, Frostbite



(**Waiting on medical results is the worst kind of hell on earth.)

Oh HELL yes!

I don't know when or how, but I WILL ride this ride!!

Polar vortex?

It's snowing in the east and in the west.  Funny how it's not snowing here!

Interesting...

Last time I checked, North Carolina wasn't *that* cheap...

The snow is coming

The little things

Video calls with my dad make me happy  :)

I'm sad

There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing a pet.  A friend just lost her 12 year old lab and it always makes me so sad because I just know it's getting close to the time that I will lose Harley and Max.  My dogs are 11 and 12 and I have no idea how much longer they will be with us.  Max is my last true connection with my sister and I don't know how I will handle it.

Farewell tour

In preparation for starting Isagenix on Saturday of this week, Jayson and I decided to have a "farewell tour" of sorts for all of the foods we will probably (and hopefully) never eat again.  It was a fat person's dream!  This is just a short list of some of the things I consumed over the last several days:

Bojangles Cajun filet biscuit with cheese
Mountain Dew
Funyuns
York Peppermint Patty
Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
Chili cheese burrito
Dunkin Donuts Boston cream donut
McDonalds Sausage McGriddle
Apple Pie
Moe's Burrito Bowl
Queso dip
Cookout Chili Cheeseburger
Hushpuppies
Onion rings

As you can imagine, I feel terrible.  If you have ever seen Super Size Me and you see how bad the guy feels eating this junk by the end of the month, you can imagine how bad I feel eating it just for a few days.  Ugh.

Can I just say...

...sometimes it is mentally exhausting to make decisions for 4 people.  Yes you read that correctly - FOUR PEOPLE.  Granted, I understand being a parent and making decisions for your children because they are just too young to do that yourself, but honestly, do I need to answer 100 questions about should I pack a scarf, do you think I can get away with jeans, what is the weather going to be in DC etc?  You're an ADULT.  Please give me a break and make some choices on your own.  UGH.

How I feel right now

Weird sales analogy of the day

Don't use an arrow when you know you can't kill the bird.

-Praveen Mooganur

Odd Compliment of the Day

Go home, weather. You're drunk.

Bottom line

I wasn't impressed by the Grammys last night.  They tried to resurrect some serious dinosaurs, and the performances by the newcomers were terrible.  Pink, however, never disappoints and she truly showed that she is a PERFORMER.  I mean WOW.  #fitisthenewsexy

Banging it out!

A friend sent me this newspaper clipping from high school.  I was kind of a big deal when I was a freshman!

This is why I love her

Every one of these was about Harry Potter.  :)

This is what my life has come to

Side note:  I didn't sleep AT ALL last night.  Today should be loads of fun.

It's the little things...

I've had 300+ emails showing up as new in my inboxes for like 3 years.  Do you even know how excited I am right now?!

I suck at Technology

I find it amusing that I work for a tech company because lately I SUCK at technology.  I couldn't figure out how to dedupe an Excel spreadsheet  (I will literally PAY SOMEONE TO HELP ME at this point), I got a phishing email today and didn't realize that's actually what it was, and I finally just figured out how to move all of my unread emails to the top of my google inbox. 

I'd like to point out that that situation alone is a major victory in itself!

True story.

Song lyrics of the day

I don't know what color your eyes are, baby
But your hair is long and brown
Your legs are strong and you're so, so long
And you don't come from this town

My head is a full of magic, baby
And I can share this with you
The feel I'm on a cross again, lately
But it's nothing to do with you

"So Alive" -  Love and Rockets

Aww yeah!

Note to self

Eating a handful of chocolate chips after eating a half a bag of Funyuns is NOT a good idea.

Real conversations

Throwback Thursday

Awww... wasn't I cute?  And wow, I actually used to wear lipstick.  That's interesting...

For Brier

  

My son is obsessed with Ramen noodles.  One day when he's old enough I'll show him this.

Quote of the day

It happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. So you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on.

 

— Nicholas Sparks


***Leah had this on her blog today too.  I have been there - I had a few friendships that I didn't think I could live without that fizzled and ended, some rather abruptly.  In the end, it turned out to be the very best thing.

Things my 4-year old says to me when on pain meds

1.  You bring me my super suit, woman!

2.  Mommy, Trix are for kids.

3.  I need to roll over.

4.  Don't touch my butt.  I SAID, Don't touch it!

Quote of the day

I think we dream so we don’t have to be apart for so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can be together all the time.

 

— A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

My life...

This nailed it.

Quote of the day

Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.

 

— A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

I'm definitely trying my hardest...

Real conversations

Umm... BRRRRRR

Good thing I already got the milk and bread!

Reason #804

...that I am getting old.


I just bought tickets to go see Chicago and REO Speedwagon.

Tyler update

The last few days have been somewhat of a blur.  Unfortunately my worst fears came true after Tyler came out of surgery on Friday and he was in a great deal of pain.  He spent the better part of the first 48 hours in varying levels of anguish and it was one of the worst things I've ever experienced as a parent because there was absolutely nothing I could do to help him.

 When he came out of surgery, he had was really drugged up and had a hard time adjusting to the anesthesia.  I was terrified he was going to have a terrible reaction but I found some calm when I looked up and saw these on the ceiling:

It was like his guardian angel was watching over him as he slept. 

 This is how we spent the first night.

The doctor had to come back the next morning and actually saw open his casts to relieve some of the pressure.  He was hurting pretty badly.

After two days of trying to get his pain meds figured out, he finally had a great day today.  He even managed to eat breakfast this morning in his fancy new ride.

Please continue to pray for my little redhead.  He has quite a long way to go.  I appreciate all of the calls and texts and emails I've gotten from my friends and family.  You can't even imagine the lifeline you were for me in this difficult time.

Quote of the day

“ A good way to judge people is by observing how they treat those who can do them absolutely no good. ”
— Anonymous

Surgery prep

As if this child needed more reasons to prove that he's my hero, this is how calm and chill he was before his surgery this morning:

 

Pray for my little man.  He's already back there now.  This will be the longest 3 hours of my life.

Truth!

WB... is this you and me or what?!

Stolen from Leah.

GPOY(because you got your hair did)T

Pageant hair in full effect!

Another one

Have I mentioned how awesome my friends are?  I have to brag a little more - I love y'all...

You knew.

I've posted this one before but I absolutely love this quote.

Thought for the day

You betta recognize...

I really don't know what I would do without the amazing people I have in my life who pick me back up and help me keep going on a daily basis.  I've admittedly had a super emotional week.  Tyler's impending foot surgery has me all tied up in knots and I just feel like so much is out of control at the moment. 

And then I got this message today and I started thinking about it.  You're right, AJ.  I'm a total bad ass mother fucka...

THANK YOU to all of my friends and family that keep me going.  I don't know what I'd do without you. 

This is the cutest video

I've got the eye of the Tiger...

I haven't been able to get this out of my head lately, so I'm just going with it.

Song lyrics of the day

How I love the way you move
And the sparkle in your eyes
There's a color deep inside them
Like blue suburban skies
When I come home late at night
And you're in bed asleep
I wrap my arms around you
So I can feel you breathe


I don't need to be a superman
As long as you will always be my biggest fan


"Heaven"   Warrant




Man, this song.  Stops me dead in my tracks every time.  Sigh...

For Leah

I'm considering this myself!

16 Signs you're a little Type A

Yeah, no shit.

You're highly conscientious. 

You may get stressed and anxious more often than others, but it's because you really care. In all areas of your life, it's important to you to stay on top of things and make sure it all gets done. As such, you're usually the one who remembers everyone's birthday, makes sure the cupcakes and flowers are ordered ahead of time, and makes sure everyone is having a good time at the party.

Song of the day

This is my friend Rob, that I met through Leah.  He's pretty cool.  :)

On another note

True Confession Tuesday

I have been on the verge of a FULL BLOWN PANIC ATTACK for a week now.  Ever since I found out Tyler is going to be having his surgery this Friday, I can't seem to shake this strange feeling of dread like something is going to go wrong.

I'm sure he's going to be fine, but I can't seem to ignore the feeling.  And I've cried a lot lately.  In private yes, but A LOT.  I'm scared that something is going to happen to him while he's under anesthesia.   I can't seem to just let it go.

This is going to be the longest week EVER.

Date a girl who reads

You should date a girl who reads.

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes, who has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she has found the book she wants. You see that weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a secondhand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow and worn.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas, for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry and in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who read understand that all things must come to end, but that you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.  (side note:  HAHAHAHA!!)

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

―Rosemarie Urquico

Lordy, Lordy, look who's 40!?

The surprise party went off without a hitch.  Jayson was totally surprised and we had a rocking party to celebrate his new status of "Over the Hill."

The big SURPRISE:

The Old Fart:

Some of Jayson's friends that came to the party:

Our awesome DJ, BP Cox of Cox Music Services!  (Who also just happens to be one of my besties from high school)

The most awesomest wife in the whole world:

And the cake!

 

Happy birthday babe!

Pure joy

There is no happier being on the planet than a 4 year old with a balloon.

It's official

Five for Friday

1.  I'm throwing my husband a surprise 40th birthday party tomorrow night.  It's just over 33 hours until the party and I am tempted to just TELL him about it.  I have so much stuff to do between now and tomorrow and I don't know how I'm going to get out of the house to get it done.  Ugh.

2.  I'm a pretty awesome wife, huh?  :)

3.  It's cold and rainy here.  I'm going to the gym today at 11:30!  YAY!  Go me!  I hope it's not crowded...

4.  Listening to "Wonderwall" by Oasis reminds me of my freshman year in college.  Every time. 

5.  I have so much work to do and I don't want to do any of it.  Thank god it's friday.

So easy even a child could do it

Trying to video chat with my 65 year old father while he works in Qatar is about as frustrating as trying to teach a 2-year-old calculus.  OMG it's not hard - CLICK THE LINK I SENT YOU, DAD!

Real conversations

God WILL give you more than you can handle

A friend sent me this article today - it's so true.  There are going to be days that will break you.  I've had my fair share.  But you do come out stronger in the end.

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me…for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)

Working from home

This was SPOT ON.  Thanks Armand!

My assistant

How cute is my new employee?

She's crafty

...she's just my style...


Look what I made!