Dude...where's my car?

I mean really.....is it just me? I have 'where is my car dementia.' I leave walmart, come out with 25 bags of stuff, it's bitterly cold and I walk the parking lot for-EVER trying to find the damn car. What is the deal? It's not like I have 7 cars in my collection, I drive a black explorer most of the time, or a silver audi...I really must have looked like a fool today leaving target. It's over lunch I was in there for less than 20 minutes and it wasn't like the parking lot was packed. I luckily had only a few bags, but the wind feels like ice going through you and I truly could NOT for the life of me remember where I parked. Some older gentleman must have been watching me because he pulled up in his old cadi and asked if I needed help finding my car.

Hi little girl, want a piece of candy?? NO WAY...I am not getting in a stranger's car, even if I do look like a fool. I was shivering but graciously declined. I don't want to end up at the bottom of a lake :)

I did find my car, but it took about 5-10 full minutes before I felt it was safe to use my frozen hands to actually navigate driving back to work.

I am ready for the day to be done, go home and make some salmon with lemon and fresh dill, asparagus, etc. play with cheech and chong and watch some dexter.

I am a little ticked off at the wee daschund, Buttons scratched the bathroom door up very badly and so now she is back in her crate during the day until she can win back my trust, that is for a later post.

A Bright Future

I am feeling so good about things. For one thing finances. Listen, I got married when I was barely 23, had Tatum 5 days after my first anniversary, and have moved 5 times or so in the past 7 years. Dan in law school, school debt, daycare debt, etc. you get what I am saying. It has been overwhelming, but with some great consolidations, we are going to be coming out so far ahead and that is very exciting. We both have pretty good jobs, well Dan has a GREAT JOB, and together we do quite well, but when you look at how young we were with kids, and moving, and school, it all added up quickly. But the light is there and we are really going places!!! We have great families too that have helped us out, babysitting, etc. along the way and that has made a huge difference. For example, this weekend will be the THIRD working weekend for me and Dan helps and so that means the THIRD weekend that the kids have to stay with one set of grandparents. We are lucky to have them around to help out with that.

Now I am looking at a little over a year and no car payments,,,,WOW!!!! This is all sounding so great to me right now. I have made financial mistakes in the past but frugal has been our attitude for quite awhile now, and it will pay off in the end. Now, if only I could get a raise, then I would be sitting pretty :) !!!!!

The other thing I am excited about is my girls weekend in KC with my BFF Maggie in a few weeks! OH MY I need to get in tip top shape for this b/c we plan to look GOOD!!!! She has it all planned and I am along for the wild ride and that is going to be fun. I am so blessed to have her in my life,,Maggie I LOVE YOU!!! Can I lose 8 pounds in 3 weeks? I doubt it, but let's give it a shot.......!

It's Thursday....

Not much to comment about today.....I am pretty much wrapped up on this weekend's upcoming event, the t's are crossed the lower case j's are dotted, etc. so hopefully it goes well. I feel special event-ed out these days....! I am hungry, that silly diet frozen lunch didn't cut it, and now I am faced with major hunger!!!

My good friend Dave sent me this pic I am going to post yesterday....how funny is that??

Re-thinking things...

It must be the timing in my life, but I am in the middle of re-thinking things. In my career I mean, I have decided to keep Dan, Tatum, Dalton and Buttons!! :) Do you ever have that 'what will I be when I grow up' feeling? I sure do, although I have truly enjoyed what I do for the past 6 years, I am thinking it's time for a change. Where that will lead me? I have no idea.....will it be in 2010? Don't know that either......what I do know is that I need to be challenged, use my creativity, etc. I know I have a big personality, and that intimidates many people, but mostly I just feel passionate about what I am doing/saying.

My thoughts for Thursday!!!

Here is what I do know:
1.) You don't have to be a jerk to be a good leader, you have to care about people, be fair, be consistent, and always work hard.
2.) You aren't better or certainly smarter than me, or the guy that just walked across the street, so stop acting like it, I hate big egos.
3.) God will always take care of those who have a good heart and do his will......I don't see as much of that as I wish I did......
4.) I know personally I need to watch my mouth,,, it's a liability :)
5.) I truly think you only have a handful of true friends in life. These are people who would be there for you for anything....they don't care about your status, your job, your weight, your car or how many square feet your house is, they just love you---everyone else is in the 'acquaintance' category......

Adios 2009

Sometimes it's almost scary to think that the year 2010 is here. I guess I think about the last 10 years, and then the next 10 years and I wonder where I will be with my career, my kids will be 16 and 14 (Holy *&^%)......and I will be 40. Crazy. Right now I need to focus on this coming year and all the things I want to do, change, etc. I am very lucky. I have these two brilliant children, they are having trouble controlling the VOLUME OF THEIR voices recently, but I think that has a lot to do with being in school and having 20 other kids around to vie for the teacher's attention.

Christmas 2009 was good, the mom and the dad didn't get much, but that is okay, b/c it's mostly about the kids. And they had so much fun. They got just what they wanted and were thrilled, it was so cute to see their faces. Even Buttons the dog got all the way hooked up by Santa. It even almost snowed a little bit. I so miss snow, here in SW MO, we just don't see snow like the old days.

My New Year's Resolution is to get into great shape, drop a few pounds and be more positive. I know that sounds funny but I really think it's something that most people should strive for; life throws curves and it's hard to stay positive sometimes but I am going to give it my best shot. Also, I want to not stress over the things (and people) that I simply can't change. Being the first born, type A, etc. etc. I seem to fall into the 'control' category, if I feel something is out of my control I kinda lose my cookies, so here is to straight up CHILLING out.

Wishing you all a happy and safe New Year......p.s. I will NOT change my wicked sense of humor and amazing wit......ha!

Baby, it is COLD outside.........

It was downright cold this morning when we all woke up! The kids, bless their hearts, want to have snow so deperately and so the few flurries we had were SO exciting to them. Unlike all our friends that live up north, we don't get to see snow much at all here, so even flurries are exciting! Dan, Dalton and I got our H1N1 vaccines this a.m., Dalton had the shot and we had the mist. Yuck, I hated it. No more mist for me, shots only. It has made me feel weird and I don't like that. Dalton was so brave, I was proud of him.

I have to go to the dr. today for my check-up. I have severe white coat syndrome, which is weird since I love the medical world, google surgeries and wish I had gone to med school myself. When it comes to ME though, uh I'd rather pass on getting jabbed and nabbed. And I HATE getting weighed. HATE IT.

My goal is to try a detox diet for 4 weeks, and see how that makes me feel. Fresh fruit, veggies mostly is what I need to aspire to. That won't be easy, b/c although I eat mostly very healthy, I have trouble getting fruits and veggies in :(

I have started back on a very regular exercise regime. This time around, I am doing longer cardio intervals with less resistance and doing weights with lots of reps and low weight. I need to tone, NOT build biceps Tina Turner.

The other thing is water. I have a love and hate relationship with water. I KNOW it's the best thing for me, and sometimes I crave it, but there is this other beverage that makes my heart palpitate, his name is Diet Cherry DP, and he "looks like a cool drink of water, but he's candy coated misery."

I know the holiday season is a hard time to be health conscience, but I think I am up to the challenge!!!

Sit back and be happy...........

I am at work today. Taking a little break from the ty cards I was writing to committee members, and since NO ONE is working in this whole building (the day after Thanksgiving) but me and some girls here, it's quiet to say the least. My phone rang three times, Dan 2 times and the wrong number once, so I thought I would jump on and write a few things down.

Life can be so stressful; we get caught up in buying all this stuff for Christmas, and keeping up with the next guy and I just don't think we (including myself at the top of this list), just sit back and think about how lucky we are. I am truly blessed. I have two amazingly smart, healthy, wonderful, beautiful children, a husband who adores me, and would do anything for his family, and my extended family too, whom I love very much. I also have friends that are TRUE friends. They aren't about appearances, they are loyal, dependable and wonderful all the way around.

Last but not least, I have God. I know he is there, but sometimes when life gets to be too much, I seem to forget he also loves me, is loyal, dependable and wonderful all the way around.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for all these people in my life who make me a better person, and a God who has compassion and love for all of us and who sacrificed the most precious thing, his Son for all of us.

Here is to a Happy, healthy holiday to you all. May you sit back and be happy.......................