Thankful

It's been an emotionally exhausting Thanksgiving holiday. My mother in law passed away Thanksgiving morning. She'd been sick for quite some time (I posted several times about it but don't feel like looking for them right now) with Leukemia and had finally said no more treatments. It doesn't even seem real that she had gone. And it certainly doesn't seem fair. Her parents lived into their 90s. She was 69. She should have made it to see Marshal graduate high school. We're lucky she lived to see his first birthday.

Marshal just born - she'd just finished chemotherapy and a horrendous hospital stay. It was a miracle to have her home.

Four months old - Her hair was starting to grow back - CURLY! =)

Month 11 - Still going through treatment but loving her grandson time.

One of the last really good photos - with her daughter at Marshal's first birthday party.

We moved everything out yesterday into storage and today I did the final walk through her apartment. Hubby couldn't do it.

I'm not the most emotional person. It takes quite a bit normally to make me cry. But the last four days have just been brutal. The smallest thing starts my eyes watering. Like getting Marshal's pictures taken for Christmas and thinking about who gets photos - I immediately thought of her.

I hate crying.

It's all very exhausting. I just want to curl up under the blankets and sleep for a few days.

I'm extremely grateful for all the amazing and wonderful people I've met - online on Facebook as well as through networking and my new job. The support and prayers are very much appreciated and needed.

An Actual Jewelry Post

It's been awhile. But the last couple of weeks I've had the desire to create...mostly jewelry but also cards and scrapbooking. I don't know what's brought the urge back but it's great.

And so far I've created three necklace and earring sets...only one of which I've managed to even halfway photograph. All three sets involve pearls. :)

These pearls are so beautiful in person...they don't all "match" - some are a little more yellow in tint and some are more pink but they all have great luster and it's just for me to wear so I wasn't too concerned. I was mostly using up pearls from older incomplete strands...left overs. And the coral just POPS out ... I love red.

Another set for my jewelry box. One of these days I'll make something to put in my Etsy shop. :) But not today.

The Sky is Falling

It's been a wacky 24 hours. The storm started building yesterday and by late evening many people in the area were out of power. Our lights flickered but thankfully we kept our power. Which is weird for us - we generally lose power quickly.

Then this morning we had an earthquake! Sheesh. One thing after another around here.

Carmex Lotions?

This post brought to you by Carmex®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Who says Carmex is just for your lips? I was given an opportunity to try out Carmex® Healing Lotion and Carmex® Healing Cream recently and this is the perfect time of year to get a decent hand cream. While the packaging won't leave any lasting impressions, the product itself is pretty good.

I'm really bad about using lotions regularly; my hubby uses his lotions on a regular basis. Wearing a gun belt and bullet proof vest don't do wonders for the skin.

And you know the smell that Carmex lip balms have? It is incredibly hard to describe and the lotion has an almost lip balm smell but it is more pleasant. It reminds me of winter and snow. :) Which is great because I love winter and snow.

One thing I generally hate about lotions is if they are too sticky or 'wet' feeling. Luckily, Carmex is neither of those. It goes on very smooth and dries very quickly so your hands (or feet, or legs, or whatever) are quickly left feeling soft. I think with regular use the long term condition of my skin will improve.

So far I haven't heard any complaints from hubby either so that is also a good sign. All in all I definitely recommend trying this product if you have dry skin and especially with this cold winter we're predicted to have.

Carmex lotion is available at Walgreens, Walgreens.com, and Drugstore.com for $5.99.

We Just Got a WinCo!

I had a fun adventure tonight. We finally got a WinCo Foods close to our house. I'd never been to one but I've always heard really great things so when I found out they were building one I was pretty jazzed (yes, my life is that pathetic).

Today was the grand opening. They had a few coupons that got sent out in Saturday's paper including a huge thing of apple juice for $0.98, toilet paper for $2.99 (the good stuff), Kraft Mac & Cheese for $0.38, bananas for $0.18 a pound! and several other things that I couldn't resist. Their prices on regular items were decent too although a couple of my regular weekly items weren't that much different than Fred Meyer.

Their bulk food section is incredible. And cheap.

It was absolutely insane there though - I waited in a line for a cart. Then of course the entire store was packed with people...which was actually kind of fun. At least for most of us. Some people seemed grumpy - but if you go to a store's grand opening you should really expect that kind of atmosphere.

Then I had to wait in line just to get in line to check out. Then I waited in the check out line.

Their check out system is really cool. They can actually check out two people at once. They had an issue with one of my coupons so while the checker waited for a supervisor she was actually able to switch to start checking out the people behind me. The little belts to bag the food are separated into two lanes. Talk about efficient.

And I LIKED bagging my own groceries. It was kind of fun. I wouldn't want to do it for a living, but at least I have no one to blame but myself if the bag breaks from being too full. :)

All in all I will definitely be going back to WinCo if I need bulk food items or when they have sales. I think that going there may reduce our grocery bill which is also something we are working on.

I have a feeling that all the other grocery stores were dismally slow today...but competition is good for everyone.

Hot Baby

Marshal had a fever from Saturday morning until Tuesday late evening. It was not a pleasant experience as it was his very first fever ever in his 13 months of life. He stopped eating and getting him to drink enough was a struggle as well. Saturday and Sunday he was pretty catatonic … he only wanted to be held and would just stare blankly most of the time.


His nose has been stuffy but now it's full on stuffed so breathing was difficult for him – and that is our current issue. Since he can't breath he can't drink from his bottle (yes, that's another issue...I realize he should be off his bottle since he's over a year but whatever). He won't drink anything other than milk and pushes all other forms of liquid transport away. He also still won't eat very much.
Which brings us to last night. I truly think he was so hungry that his little tummy kept him up all night. In the middle of the night I even made him an English Muffin with butter – something that has never been done in our household. He had one little bite and was done with that. He would get a few sips in before falling asleep, exhausted, in my arms. Putting him back in his crib worked for 45 minutes to an hour before he was awake and crying again.
Needless to say, mommy is exhausted. Which is not good because today is a big day for me. When I first started with Aflac I called a local business and actually got a meeting. That was in May. It is now November and we've finally moved forward and I'm doing enrollments. It's very exciting and it's a company that I absolutely love – and would have loved even if they hadn't moved forward. But being so tired is not conducive to effective consultation. :(
Hopefully we can get his nose unstuffed somehow. It just sounds horrible but he doesn't know yet how to blow his nose or clear his throat so the stuff just sits there building up. I think we need to try to get him to sneeze or something.

My Husband Rejoices - I Can't Talk

I lost my voice. If you find it will you please direct it back to me? I miss it very much.

It's very annoying to not be able to communicate with people. Even whispering hurts.

My job kind of requires being able to talk. Especially for making phone calls or presentations. A voice sort of helps. Whispering sounds kind of creepy.

I visited my doctor's office and was told it could be two to three WEEKS!!! What the heck!?!?!? I've never lost my voice for that long.

So I'll be staying home for a day or two to try to avoid conversations and whispering. Thankfully there are some things I can get done with out speaking.

I'm quite frustrated right now.

Get Up and Move!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PlayStation MOVE. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you need some inspiration to get moving? I sure do. I feel like I'm constantly moving, but not in the exercise kind of way.

Wii now has some competition. PlayStation has come out with PlayStation Move - designed to get you up and moving and having fun. Move is for all levels - casual to intense gamer. Their games range from sports, activity, party, family, shooter, and more.

If a little Genie popped over to our house and granted us a PlayStation Move I think our family would really have a good time with it. My son will be getting to an age where he can actually play with coordination.  The Move controller looks pretty easy to use and I think we'd have fun playing together as a family.

I think hubby would enjoy the Resident Evil game. He's a big fan of those movies. Marshal would definitely like EyePet, and I think I would too, although Start The Party looks fun too.

The best part is that if you already have a PlayStation you can bring motion gaming exclusively to your existing PlayStation®3 for only $99 with the MOVE bundle package!

Yes, I have a One Year Old

Hubby, Marshal, and I went to the grocery store yesterday late afternoon. I actually enjoy shopping with Marshal because he can generally be entertained by the surroundings. Hubby...not so much. Our bill is almost always $20 to $50 higher when he comes along. But even so, it is fun to do as a family once in awhile.

We were in the ethnic ailse and hubby picked up the potato pancake mix. It wasn't super expensive so I said okay (I've almost got him trained) and some random lady in the same ailse got all high and mighty and said to her (mom?) "They just got a potato pancake MIX" as if it's some sort of cooking sin to get a mix.

I wasn't in the best of moods anyway so it made me a little mad. I snapped back at her "Yes, a mix. We have a one year old and we don't get a lot of sleep" and walked away.

It didn't offend me necessarily but it was a little obnoxious. I rarely say out loud what I think of some people's grocery choices...generally only when I like something they've picked and we're making idle chit chat in the checkout line. I would not say something in a negative manner to someone standing right next to me about their grocery choices.

Why can't people keep their thoughts to themselves? She wasn't young so I'm sure she's a fabulous cook who thinks making potato pancakes is just a quick thing to whip up as a snack. Me? Not so much. I don't cook and if hubby wants to eat them he's going to have to make them himself.

Yes, I have a one year old and am constantly tired or busy. Not to mention that I don't enjoy cooking. It's not my idea of fun.

Eating on the other hand. Bring it on!

Crazy Times

Marshal started daycare last week. Talk about stressful. He did fine the first two days when I dropped him off. After that...

Well, it hasn't been all that pleasant. The poor kid just screams and grasps at my neck like I'm leaving him at the devil's own playground. *sigh*

This morning was no different. And honestly, it doesn't make me feel all that guilty. I wish he'd get down and want to play on his own but I know it's also something he'll eventually get used to.

He went all week last week but this week he will be there just two days, Monday and Tuesday. The next three days he'll be with his special sitter (also called "nanny" but in a very non snooty way). She's like a third grandma to him.

He has obviously enjoyed his time at daycare ... they have art projects and his are so cute. I can't wait to see them.

Squirrel!

I love that movie, Up! It so describes my life sometimes...look a Squirrel.

Distractions are prevalent.

My boy is one. I can't believe he is so big. And seriously tall. He's in the 92nd percentile for height. But skinny. Only in the 44th percentile for weight. I kind of worry that he's too skinny but he eats as much as we give him. He's definitely an active little guy burning those calories.

Funny Face

Shoes!

His favorite toy.

I'm Not An Environmentalist...But...

I don't know how comfortable I am with the idea of a genetically engineered fish. I mean, I guess it's not that big a deal considering that scientists have been modifying genetics this way or that for decades in all kinds of foods. But for some reason it makes me a little nervous.

It sounds so sci-fi, but really genetically "modifying" something could be as simple as withholding light at a specific moment, or adding light, or just feeding them a slightly different food. But this isn't that simple. This is actually a fish with the genes of a salmon and an ocean "pout". That's messing with nature in a much greater way.

What do you think???

His First Fair

Oh boy. Yesterday we went to the Puyallup Fair.

I wanted to go last year when I was uber pregnant but the doctor threatened me - if I went into labor up in Puyallup I had to go to the hospital there and that would mean a strange doctor delivering my boy. I was not having any of it. So we skipped last year. First time in ages I didn't go.

So I was super jazzed this year because I knew Marshal would be old enough to have some fun. And he did! :) He barely made a peep the entire time - he was so busy taking everything in. I don't think his head could spin fast enough to see everything at once.

The draft horses really threw him for a loop. But he especially loved the John Deer tent, which was the only "stuff" other than food that we bought the whole time were there.

My first tractor!

Aflaaaaaccccc!!!!

Whoa.

Big horses.

It's the great Pumpkin.

Needless to say, we had a great time even though it was raining most of the time and I was kind of miserable by the end of it. I hate being wet. And, being true Washingtonians, we did not have an umbrella with us. We even sat out in the rain to eat our food! :)

The one thing I wished we had visited was the petting zoo. We went through the barns but you're not allowed to pet the horses or cows. We didn't see the petting zoo until we were leaving and by that point we were done. Maybe next year.

Cell Phone Issues

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Way back when hubby and I were reviewing our cell phone plan we signed up for 700 minutes and unlimited texting. That was when I worked full time, sitting at a desk all day, and mostly used my phone to call hubby and let him know I was leaving work.

Now, I'm full time out and about on my phone a LOT. Well, guess what? I totally spaced about only having 700 minutes - between the TWO of us! Yeah. When the bill came I was a little shocked. It was $134 more than normal. Ouch.

Yes, it was my fault. I should have paid more attention or had something like Boost Mobile and their Re-Boost program. I wouldn't be in such a pickle.

Re-Boost allows you to add funds to your phone anytime. You can even set up a payment plan where you only pay for the minutes you use - which means no going over your minutes. How nice would that be? You can pay on-line, in-person, or pay by phone. It's simple to sign up for the Reboost program if you're already with Boost Mobile - just go into "My Account", enter your phone number and pin, and then just "add money"...so easy. And if you aren't with them yet, it's just as easy to sign up - pick your plan, activate it, and done.

I am seriously tempted to switch to Boost Mobile...$60 for unlimited text, talking, and web even with the Blackberry phone like the one I have. That is a lot less than what I pay now. If I did switch, I'd probably move from the blackberry to the Motorola i1 Android type phone. It looks sweet with a touch screen and 5MP camera. Plus there are a ton of accessories you can get to go with it - from a Scan disc memory card to supr cool over the ear head phones.

I use my phone for so much more than talking. I check e-mails and love to know when I have a response on Facebook. I'm not a huge Twitter-er but that is something I know a lot of people do from their phones. And I so wish my Blackberry had a better camera, but I do love the full keyboard. The touch screen keyboard isn't my favorite.

So if you're in the market for a new phone, and possibly a new carrier, take a look at Boost Mobile and their options. They will keep you in touch with friends on Facebook and Twitter while still giving you the minutes you need to work. :)

My Baby Isn't a Baby Anymore

He's not even a year old yet and he is entering toddler-ville. He's defiant. He's curious. And he's walking! I still am in awe of this little guy. His intelligence is frightening sometimes.

I'm starting to TRY to wean him off of certain things...like being rocked to sleep. The last couple of nights I've rocked him as usual for a few minutes, letting him have his bottle. And then when he's done with the bottle I rock a few minutes more but when he gets squirmy I move him into the crib.

Of course, all hell breaks loose. But two nights in a row he's actually EVENTUALLY gone to sleep on his own.

And in less than a month he'll be going to regular daycare. I'm terrified. I love that he gets one on one attention from his sitter every day. And she's completely flexible. Now he'll be going to "school" twice a week and back to his nanny's three times. I am worried it will screw up his schedule and make him ... I don't even know. Upset his routine somehow.

Crazy right? I just want him to be healthy, safe, and happy. The school we've chosen isn't bad. I'm just anxious.

My baby is growing up...much too quickly.

One Benefit of Not Blogging

Less Spam!!!!

My rankings must have plummetted over the last few weeks because my spam comments have gone way way down. So there's that. :)

I'm Such a Slacker

No, really. I haven't fallen off the face of the planet. I keep thinking of things to blog about but by the end of the day I'm exhausted and my brain shuts down.

It's not just blogging. Our house has gotten systematically messier since I left my old job. How that's possible I'm not quite sure, but it has. I figured I'd actually get to make my own schedule, and include house cleaning in that. Not so much.

We did at LEAST eight loads of laundry in one day last weekend. I did two more during the week. It had piled up so high we had to walk ON it to get to the washer. *sigh*

It's probably not hard to imagine that our eating habits haven't exactly been superb. Eating out is one of my pet peves. It drives me crazy and I do way too much of it during the day, let alone in the evenings. But we're both so tired after work that it's snuck back into our way of life and I'm tired of it. Not only is it expensive but it's not healthy (especially since we both like things like pizza or chinese food).

So I think we're going to go back to Dinners Done Right. We did this several years ago and loved the food. You actually go in and prepare it yourself...all the ingredients are there for you to put together. I realize it's lazy - yes I could go find the ingredients in the grocery store, buy them, and make them at home. But I think we've established at this point that I WON'T do that.

By default, it's worth the (a little less than) $10 a meal that it works out to be for the two of us. It's less than $5 a person per meal if we get the 12 meal package and prepare it ourselves. It's more if they prepare it for us, plus I like to leave some stuff out of the mix.

We still have to do sides, but for the most part that's not a big issue. We always have pasta or potatoes and I think I can manage to start getting some veggies on the plate. I think.

Other than the craziness, life really is wonderful. I've never been so busy and so happy at the same time. I absolutely love my job - it's challenging, fulfilling, and has actually gotten me out meeting people in my community. Have I made much money? Um...no. But I expect that will come with time. It's only been a little over 4 months. Believing in the programs and services and having a great company stand behind me helps a lot though.

For now we are going to have to try to economize...which I realize sounds funny considering we're going to do the Dinners Done Right thing again. But in reality, it's a lot cheaper than spending $20-$30 for take out/delivery every night. We are trying to cut the budget and this is just going to have to be one small step.

The Crazy Life Has Taken Over

I had this great idea...I'll be my own boss, work at home, set my schedule, and spend more time with my family and maybe even clean my house a little better (or at all).

Yeah...reality. Wall.

We missed Marshal's swimming lessons last Thursday because he was being a stinker...he's learned how to throw fits. Real, loud, messy, annoying fits. He's too young to know how to throw a fit. I thought I had at least another 6 months.

If he does not get his way - whether it's going into the kitchen or trying to use us as a walking partner - he screams from the very deepest part of his throat. Once we figured out WHAT he was doing, we breathed a sigh of releif. We thought something was wrong with him.

So now we're ignoring it...while trying not to laugh. It's cute right now. I'm sure as he gets older it will become less cute.

We missed his swimming lessons on Tuesday because I had a training class and hubby had to work late. And now we might miss this Thursday's due to scheduling conflicts. Luckily his nanny has a hot tub so he's gotten to start playing in that now. So at least he's getting swim time, even if it's not with daddy or mommy.

But that's depressing to me. I want to have more time with my boy. And this week it feels like I'm working more than full time. That needs to stop. I'm my own boss. I do not have to work 40 hours a week if I don't want to...which I don't. Yes, I need to build my business and that requires work - and time. But it should not have to come at the expense of my little boy and hubby.

It might take longer for me to build up my business...but that is just going to have be the way I work. Slower. And perhaps more deliberately.

Make It Stop!

Miserable.

Hot.

Sticky.

Sweaty.

These all describe my family right now. I'm not made for this kind of weather. I was born and raised here and a nice day is light clouds at around 70 degrees and a slight breeze. That's shots and tank top weather. That's heat up the car too much to take the dogs anywhere weather.

This is insane, boil my ever-luvin brains weather. My mom's car temp gauge said 104. 104!!! WTH?!? Tomorrow is supposed to be as hot, if not hotter.

Poor little Marshal man doesn't love this weather any more than I do. Saturday he was in tears - so tired and needing a nap but too hot to actually sleep. :(

Sun, Sun, Go AWAY!!! I'm ready for a nice cold snowy winter. Who's with me?

Got An Event?

Sometimes our lives get a little crazy...or a lot crazy. I have a hard time relying on others to help me though.

As Marshal gets older I can't imagine that I'll get more busy, so if I ever have to plan a big event why would I try to do it on my own?

There is another Megan out there who could help me - although she spells her name wrong. :)

Meghan Swanlund Event Design and Management can do all sorts of things to help plan a big or small event. Check out her blog here and add her as a friend on Facebook.

Another Plug for an Online Degree

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of USC. All opinions are 100% mine.

I know I've mentioned it before (although it's been a few months), but I earned my Bachelor's degree online and loved the experience. Life is crazy and hectic so attending classes in person for me was not realistic. I worked full time, was planning our wedding, and had several hobbies. Now I'd have no other option than online since we have a little guy in the picture.

In fact, when I was studying for my insurance license I did everything online - studying, taking practice exams, and registering for the test.

USC Rossier School of Education’s MAT@USC is offering Masters of Arts in Teaching program that you can study and earn online! Head to their site for more program information.

There are some big advantages to getting a degree online, other than the flexibility, and USC offers quite a few benefits with their program:

• Highly interactive online learning combined with field-based experiences
• Groundbreaking tuition reimbursement program
• Accelerated program you can complete in as little as 12 months
• Learning from the #22 ranked Teaching School in the United States, and #9 among all private universities by US News and World Report
• Tuition reimbursement and scholarships
• MAT@USC Student Blog, hear insights about the program from actual students
• Technology video that introduces the interactivity of the program

"Attending" USC gives you the opportunity to earn your Masters of Arts in Teaching from an internationally known school with a 100 year history of educating the educators - from faculty recognized for their contributions to modern education. You know they're good in the technology side of things since they were awarded by AACTE for innovative use of technology in education - an important thing for an online program.

With a highly interactive experience-driven program, taught by USC faculty recognized for their contributions to modern education, you will be proud to call yourself a Trojan!

The Great Diaper Free Experiment of 2010

It's officially over. It lasted approximately 30 minutes.

Little guy has a weird looking rash on his private area. It does not look like a normal diaper rash so I took him to the doctor...who told me it was diaper rash. *sigh*

New mom jitters.

She suggested letting him round around naked. Sounded simple enough. When we got home we stripped his diaper off, but left his little onesie hanging loose around him.

Bad idea. Let's just say that if he'd been completely naked it would have been easier to clean up.

First Swimming Lessons

What a joy! I was a little nervous about Marshal's first swimming lesson. What if he got scared and cried? After all, he had no nap today.

No such thing as scared with this little man. He was laughing and splashing and having a great time. We were a little bit late but daddy and he dove in and got in the swing of things very quickly.

I Love My Daddy!

Splish Splash!

Hi Mommy!

I stayed on the side to take pictures and video. I'm hoping this Thursday I'll be able to go in with him, but if my swim suit hasn't been delivered I may be taking more pictures. :)

Isn't he cute!?!?! Yes, I am a very proud mama. Is that wrong?

Perception Shift

I think I've been a Trooper's wifei for too long now...when hubby says he'll be late because there's been a fatality, all I can think about is how it affects my evening. Kind of sad.

Someone just DIED and I'm stressed because I'll be home alone longer.

Hello?!? Priorities.

And it isn't like a drunk driver or anything in this case. It was kind of a sad one (it's hard to take every single one to heart - especially if self induced from alcohol or drugs).

I'm glad he comes home at all. If it has to be a little bit later than normal, that's just part of being a cop's wife.

My Son is Famous!

Well, okay maybe not "famous" but he got to have his picture taken with someone famous ... locally famous. :) Cisco was at the Mushroom Festival and grandma LOVES Cisco. So she took her little grandson up during a commercial (he was doing his radio show live) to get some snapshots.

Who is this guy and why is he smiling?

We got a squishy baseball from the Liberty Mutual booth. He liked that.

And he CLIMBED up on his stroller with no help from me. I am truly terrified.

A Day at the Air Show

What an amazing time we had on Saturday! Marshal, hubby, and I piled into the truck and headed to Joint Base Lewis McChord for the Air Show. We were a little later than we wanted to be...and apparently so was everyone else because the parking was hideous. Some of the military folks were getting seriously ticked at stupid people...not us of course. :)

About an hour before we left I put Marshal's new ear protection in his diaper bag. As we were leaving, hubby shows me the ear muffs and asks "Are these the ones we're taking?" ... *sigh* Timber had chewed one side and the padding was completely gone. I swear I am going to shoot that dog one of these days.

Nevertheless, the actual protective portion was okay and didn't seem to be too difficult to wear so we moved on.

I honestly wasn't sure how Marshal would react - there were a lot of people and some of the airplanes were so loud that they shook my chest so even with his ear muffs he felt the rumblings. I was impressed by how closely he tracked the planes as they flew. He and daddy had so much fun together - even though we spent the majority of time standing in line for food - at least we had lots to watch while we waited.

Mommy is protecting my ears.

Where'd the Plane go?!?

Ear Muff break. Some less noisy planes are flying.

I see you!

Hot Shot!

Marshal slept the whole way home and was out COLD. But that was the only recharge he needed apparently because then he was back to his active self - playing in everything he could find, including the laundry basket.

What the Heck?

I'm walking into the house the other day and saw a leaf stuck to the side of the house.

Or so I thought.

Very sneaky little thing. I did a double take and had to take some phtos. It's been there for a couple of days now. It's not dead though...so what is going on with it?

It's definitely pretty thought - in a creepy bug sort of way. :)

What a Weekend

What a GREAT weekend! And it really started on Friday with our Aflac regional picnic BBQ, which was AWESOME.

Marshal had so much fun that he fell asleep on the picnic table!

Then Saturday my mother in law, Marshal, and I went to two local Farmer's markets. She thinks I'm trying to kill her by getting her out and doing things. :) It was a ton of fun though. One market had a magician who was really funny and the other had this amazing band that Marshal enjoyed dancing to.

Sunday was the big event though. My grandpa turned 83 a few days ago and his official party was Sunday. There were so many people there, down at the river, that I didn't even know half of them. But my best friend from high school came with her daughter and I was SO excited to see her!!! And of course, I hardly saw Marshal the whole time...except when he needed a nap.

Otherwise, he was the life of the party!

Flying with Uncle Tony.

Playing with Cousin Tal.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend too. And here's hoping we all have a great week!

Gift Giving Made Simple

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of FriendGiftr. All opinions are 100% mine.

How many of you have woken up one morning and realized..."OH crap! So and So has a birthday today!!!" You don't have time to run to the store for a present or maybe they live across the country and you forgot to send something. I'm not saying this has happened to us or anything ... *cough* ... um ... yeah.

Now you don't have to fret. I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting gift cards. And FriendGiftr has made it super easy, convenient, and friendly to send the perfect gift...even at the last minute. You can send real physical cards or even virtual ones!

There are over 120 vendors you can choose from, including one of our favorites, Cabela's. =) Of course, not everyone is going to love Cabela's...so if we picked a Cabela's card to send and our friend didn't love it - FriendGiftr actually lets them SWAP for a card they do want! How cool is that? No one wants a gift card to go to waste, but if you don't like a certain store what do you do? Swap it! The giver doesn't even have to know so no hurt feelings.

As if it wasn't already a great site, FriendGiftr also works with your iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and even Facebook. So if you're out at the grocery store and realize you need to send a gift fast - you're covered!

Oh...and if you want to send me a gift card I won't complain. :)

I Wish I Were Thinner

Not because I care so much about being skinny, although it'd be nice. But because I want to be able to wear these gorgeous vintage clothing from REiNViNTAGE. The clothes, shoes, and accessories she's found are so adorable.

I always love when people do such an incredible job digging through vintage clothes and finding the gems. I bet my mom could make some cash selling some of her old prom dresses. When I was little I used them for dress up, but they're still in really good condition.

This beautiful yellow sundress is so cheerful!

I'd LOVE to be able to fit into this stunning red dress. Red is one of my favorite colors.

Fashion in the 30s and 40s was so awesome. I wish these shoes fit me!

What is even cooler...I sent her a message on Etsy to find out if she has larger sized shoes and I find out that she has a 10 month old! :) My boy is just over 9 months old. I love finding new moms like me!

Have a Fabulous 4th!

I'm giving myself a four day weekend. It's nice to be your own boss sometimes. At least when it comes to deciding things like time off. :)

We have no major plans but thankfully hubby is off Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We'll probably hang out around the house but I would like to take Marshal man to some sort of 4th event. Nothing with loud fireworks though. I don't think he'd like the loud noises. Although we are prepared to handle loud noises and protect his ears.

Aren't those the most adorable things ever!?!?!

I hope everyone has a fabulous, fun, and safe 4th of July. =)

Like Floating on a Cloud

When I was a little girl - before my dad died, so before I was 8 - we used to go visit his mom, my grandma. She wasn't remarried yet so it was just her in this big old house that had as much character as she did. You walked into the mud room - a cluttered screened in room with a big freezer that always had yummy desserts. Then the front door into the kitchen which was cramped and filled with all her cooking tools. She was an amazing cook.

For some reason she collected glass bottles - they were fascinating to look at in their various shapes and sizes. And all the colors of the rainbow. She had them lined up in every window.

And the hammock at the side of the house provided hours of entertainment for my brother and I. Not to mention the huge trees and forts we built. We didn't need video games or TV when we were there.

My memories at her house are priceless. She would put a bratwurst in the microwave for me and as picky as I was (and am) I loved them. I remember watching her make homemade pasta. And of course she always had candy of some sort available. I even liked helping her wash dishes, which is nothing I'd do anywhere else.

By far my favorite thing when visiting her was taking a nap. She had this big, fluffy, soft feather bed that just enveloped me in coziness. I'd snuggle in and listen as she'd tell these amazing stories. I wish I could remember them better or that she was able to tell them now. She'd make all the sounds and voices - the one I can recall the best was her chugga chugga choo choo train sounds.

She's over 90 now and can't hear well enough to talk on the phone. She can't walk without help and needs constant assistance. She's also too stubborn to have in a nursing home - she used to have a nurse who would come to her home but that didn't last too long.

I love her so much and wish I could communicate more regularly with her. Unfortunately I don't even always know where she's living (she rotates between two of her daughters). But I will always remember our visits there in her eclectic house filled with all sorts of amazing treasures.

Do You Take Checks?

So I had an order from my Etsy shop (shocking I know!) and the woman wanted to pay by check. It's kind of a sad state of affairs when I'm hesitant to take an order because I'm skeptical of the payment method. I'm a generally trusting person ... or at least I have been in the past. I just know too many folks who have gotten burned.

Lo and behold, the check arrived. I did tell her that I would not ship her order until the check had cleared (I'm thinking at least 5 days from when I cash it). I feel kind of bad about it, although if I were a customer paying by check I'd understand. There are just so many dishonest people out there it ruins it for those of us who are honorable.

I'm happy to still be able to sell the jewelry that I have already made. Saturday I had a couple of friends come over to make jewelry (and sell some of my supplies) and it did make me kind of sad. Mostly because I do love making jewelry and I just do not have time to do it. Which I realize is okay...it's not like I am giving it up forever.

My poor mom is grieving though. :) I made her an Amethyst necklace and earring set to ease her pain.

Nine Months Ago

Wow...my son is nine months old. As of Saturday. It's so weird to think that nine months ago we were still in the hospital and he was in the ICU trying to get his blood sugar back to normal. I don't think I was walking yet since my strength was so gone and I'd lost so much blood.

Now my little angel is trying to walk and crawling like a speed demon. His laugh makes my heart soar. I never thought I could love someone so much.

As exhausted and overwhelmed as I am, I would not trade a single day for live without my little guy. I do enjoy alone time and his nap time though. :) I hope that I can be a good enough mom for him as he grows up.

What Is It About Pizza?

Of all the politically charged posts I wrote on my other blog, none has gotten so much attention as the one I wrote about food stamps being accepted for pizza. I've published all comments, both good and bad because I'm not all that passionate about the issue. I don't really think people should use food stamps for Papa Murphy's, but it's just my opinion. Obviously the policy says they can.

I wrote this post nearly a year ago and it's STILL getting comments. I have no idea how people are still finding it. It's not like I write on that blog any more these days.

One poster called me ignorant, which I thought was kind of funny. How is it ignorant to want my tax dollars to be used properly? I see SO many people on food stamps at the grocery store with blinged out cell phones, cigarettes, and nice purses. Clearly they're not so hard up that they can't afford those things, but yet they are using food stamps to buy crap food. And they're allowed to use them to buy Papa Murphy's. I still think it's lame.

Feel free to disagree with me...as so many others have. Disagreements aren't bad things as long as they are polite. It kind of makes me laugh that of all the obnoxious posts I've written, this is the one that gets people all hot under the collar. :)

The Details Matter

This weekend we wanted to go to an air show but Marshal needed ear protection. I ordered him these cute blue ones that he should be able to wear from now into the next few years. Just to make sure I got them on time I called the company on Friday morning to order instead of doing it online. I specifically told the woman on the phone that I wanted them by Saturday for an air show.

And I paid an extra $60 for that overnight air shipping.

Yes, I know. The ear protection on ly cost $15. But it was poor planning on my part and I wanted my son's hearing protected.

Can you guess where this is going?

We did not get the ear muffs. After I SPECIFICALLY told her that I wanted to get them Saturday and her working to make sure I would...not so much. I got back on their website and dug around a little deeper into their policies.

Yeah...their UPS account only delivers Monday through Friday. WTH?!?

So...you let me pay an extra $60 for overnight shipping that you knew wouldn't arrive for at least 3 days. Nice.

Not cool. They will be hearing from me and I do want my $60 back. If they're cool about it then great - I'll give them a decent review. If not...oh just wait.

A Big Week Ahead

I hope everyone had a good Father's day. I don't celebrate it...or at least I haven't in the past. We would have today but hubby worked until nearly 6 a.m. and didn't get up until almost 3 p.m. I wanted us to go to the air show that was going on but no such luck. Maybe next year.

Looks like I'll have to start celebrating in the future though considering my hubby is now a father. :) I did get him a refurbished Garmin and he had a blast playing with it on the way to get groceries.

This week looks crazy on the calendar and I hope I'll be able to manage without entirely losing my mind. Tomorrow looks the craziest but the whole week is fairly booked. The problem is that when I'm swamped doing presentations and enrollments I can't work at finding new prospects, meaning my future week will be super slow. Although since the week after is near July 4 slow wouldn't be that bad.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to give myself a vacation though...it's not like I've earned any money! =) But things are slowly looking up. I'm learning more and more every day.

One thing I learned last week is that I really really really want to help people...before they no longer qualify for help. I had an appointment where a guy wanted a policy but because he had some weird health incident earlier in the year he didn't qualify. He was NOT happy. And I felt horrible because Aflac was kind of his last hope for coverage (there were some other weird circumstances).

So many young people don't think about their future but I'm glad I did. Because I started saving for retirement at the age of 18 I have more invested than my mom who has less than 10 years until retirement. I've got a good 30 years left.

Similarly, if young peeps sign up for supplemental insurance like Aflac they lock in the awesome lower rates that come with being young. Not to mention they can avoid the pre-existing conditions that knock them out later in life. I don't even know if I can qualify for life insurance now because of various issues.

Here's to a crazy busy week!

He's A Ladies Man

Marshal cracked me up today at church. Since I'm not a big fan of Father's day I went to church but stayed in the nursery. I'm SO glad I did! I would have just been crying out in the main service, and in the nursery I got to watch Marshal try to maul another little girl.

His buddy, 10 month old McKayla (not sure how to actually spell her name) got her fair share of kisses, pinches, and hair pulls. She's bigger than he is but he's more aggressive. The way he kisses is full open mouth right on the face. We were laughing so hard because he was following her around for a good five minutes trying to get her.

I kept close and tried to moderate his strength - didn't want him to pull her hair. Her cheek was still pink from where he pinched it - he moved too fast and I couldn't stop him in time when she first came in. I think they're going to get married someday. :)

How could the ladies resist?

What Do You Think?

I made a new banner and changed the template of the blog. Thoughts? I kind of like it. I'm going to try to find time to clean up the other stuff.

This week is going to be crazy busy. I've got two days of training in Bellevue, a good hour and a half from home making for long commutes. Two employee presentations - one after a full day of training. Bible study on Thursday.

I had my first group enrollment finish up last week and I'm pretty excited about it. I had four people sign up, with five policies. It was more than an interesting experience - especially for my very first one. And aside from the initial employee presentation I was pretty much on my own due to timing issues with my trainer.

I've had the Aflac Accident plan for eight years now and for at least six of those years I haven't submitted any of the Wellness benefits. The Accident plan comes with a $60 per year wellness benefit ... so I submitted six year's worth and am looking forward to a nice little check to help with bills. Once hubby and I get our icky Colonoscopies we'll be getting another couple hundred dollars from our Hospital plan and our Cancer plan.

Aflac wants people to be proactive with their health and provides wellness benefits to encourage folks to get that preventative care and testing. Not that I'm really excited to have any of the exams I need...but you know. Better safe than sorry.

It's all for the little man after all.

Nothing More Precious

Marshal was in rare form last night as I tried to get him to sleep. Generally he's a crier at night. He fights going to sleep with all of his will power and strength. I'm not sure where he gets his stubborn streek... oh wait. Yeah I do.

Anyway..last night was a weird one. He was laughing. Seriously full on laughing before he fell asleep. I was cracking up. He'd grab my nose and giggle. Then he'd "attack" with his version of a kiss - a fully open mouth slobbering on my face - and I'd start laughing and he'd think that was the funniest thing so he'd start laughing. Definitely not our typical bedtime routine. This went on for at least 20 minutes before he finally got tired enough to fall asleep.

Is there anything more precious than a child's laugh? I'm not sure I could think of anything.

Winding Down

I always said that I'd never stop making my jewelry just because I had a baby. Then again I said a lot of things before I had a baby. :)

I've been hanging on to my past pre-baby life. This Sunday at church I realized that I needed to let go of that past and move forward. Sometimes God makes things really obvious.

So as soon as hubby makes room for me in the garage, my jewelry supplies are going to be packed up and moved out. It's very sad to me but my priorities have definitely shifted in the last 9 months. I'm reconnecting with church and God. My job requires a lot of time and energy right now.

My Etsy shop is still open with pieces that are already created but any made to order items are no longer listed. My mom is kind of bummed and is trying to get me to make some pieces for her before I put things away.

What will the future bring? No idea. Only God knows.

For now, I'll try to answer his calling to be the best mother that I can and to learn as much as I can about my new job. I'll still blog every once in awhile but even that needs to take a back seat. If there is anything that you like from the shop grab it now. Once things expire I'll probably wait to relist them for a long time.