My box of goodness arrived from my Favorite Things Swap partner Kim from Diaries of a Coach's Wife. Look and see what she sent me...
1. Super CUTE post it notes...a darling frog and flowers. FUN!
2 Family Circle magazine..I almost sent her magazine too.
3. Soft Lips lip balm...I am wearing it as I type, vanilla mmmm.
4. Pedicure stuff...and PINK toenail polish...I sent her PINK toenail polish too!!
5. Cookie Dough Flavored Coffee...I will serve this to my in laws the next time they come for the weekend, the are the coffee drinkers in this family. BUT the cookie cutter attached to it is mine all mine.
6. Junior Mints...with instructions to freeze them. I will try that!
7. TONS of darling scrap booking stuff...I am inspired. I have always wanted to be a scrapbooker, maybe one of these days I will start!
8. A sweet note written by Kim herself...thanks Kim.
I love everything I got and I can't wait to hear if Kim enjoyed the goodies I sent her way.
If you participated in Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap grab the button below and link up so we can all blog jog and see what you got!
I haven't blogged in a week.
I am starting to get a bunch of emails asking if I am OK. The short answer is YES. The long answer is it took a little time for my new meds to kick in but the pain is going away slooooowly and I am beginning to feel more like myself everyday. Thanks for your notes and prayers. They are VERY much appreciated!!!
I got my a few of Favorite Things packaged up and sent off to my swap partner over the weekend. It thrills me that all this week Goodness will be arriving via snail mail to women all over the USA and I was the one who made it happen. Yep, patting myself on the back a little. Organizing these swaps is a lot of work but totally worth it. I am grateful for the distraction.
Got my hair did today. I think I like it. I wish it was a little darker but the cut is good and the girl is great. I will most def be going back. I cannot believe it has been a year since I last got my hair cut. Remember when THIS happened? Yea, you would wait a year before being brave enough to find a new girl too.
So far March has been amazing. I knew it would be. I love the beginning of Spring. I love the idea of starting fresh. After being sick for so long I am determined to make March MY month. Of course April will be MY month too since it is my birthday month. I feel pretty positive that I will be back to my old self by then.
There are some pretty fantastic things on the horizon for our family. Stuff I am DYING to blog about but can't...yet. But dreams are coming true y'all and I am really excited about the possibilities of it all.
This weekend Big Daddy and I are headed to Monterey. His cousin Jessica is getting married to his best friend Keith. I set them up almost 2 years ago. I am an excellent matchmaker. We are taking the opportunity to make it a little romantic getaway for ourselves (J opted not to join us) and will be spending the weekend soaking up the goodness of the fresh ocean air. I am hoping the weather is nice. The wedding is on the beach, I can't wait to get some sand between my toes.
Jordan is busy counting down the days to Summer. She graduates 8th grade this year. High School? Oh man I am not ready for High School. She has become quite the teenager in the last few months and has even starting trying on a little "snark" now and then. How did THAT happen? My mom swears she NEVER did the whole "I hope you have a kid just like you someday". She said she would never wish the kind of kid I was on anyone. But every now and then J will get a little attitude and I wonder if my mom just never said it out loud. Help me. Honestly for the most part J is a really great kid. We are VERY blessed, she is actually still fun to be around...when she isn't busy making other plans.
Hmmm...what else? I think that's it for now. I hope to get some pictures taken this weekend of sunny skies and me and my hubby.
Life is beautiful.
My last post was kind of a bummer. Sorry about that. I decided to "turn things around" and get back to the good stuff.
So on My Happy List this week...
These G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S and D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S chocolate covered strawberries. Big Daddy knew I could use a little lift and these babies most def did the trick. Holy diabetic coma I love that man! Truth is there was more berry than chocolate, so I figure it was a healthy treat.
I didn't share any of them. I think that made them even more delicious.
Check out my new friend. Isn't he adorable? I have been looking for a rooster to hang out on my kitchen table for a while. I found him in all his brightly colored, metal glory tucked in a corner of a TjMaxx...it was love at first sight!!! I knew he had to be mine but I thought he would be more than I wanted to spend. For $11 it was pretty much a match made in heaven.
I love how he looks with my new yellow walls and wainscoting. OH and my super awesome window...he makes me happy.
These two and their Rock Band marathons have been cracking me up. I am trying to upload a little video of the cuteness. J takes it VERY seriously and is determined to beat her daddy. She has a little notebook that she has been keeping with their scores and percentages, it's pretty funny. She even invited her dad to come in and play with her and her BFF the other night...even though "he is kind of embarrassing, when he dances and stuff". Hey, that's what dads do.
I especially love how animated he is even when it's Taylor Swift (who I love BTW).
It seems I spoke too soon about feeling so well. I decided to go pain med free and within a week the pain is back and is super intense. I HATE the meds I am on, HATE them. I don't like the way I feel. I can't stand without feeling like a juniper in a windstorm, my dexterity is compromised, I cannot complete a full sentence without stuttering and my body jerks and ticks like I am on crack or something.
It's annoying, humiliating and seeeeriously hurts my self esteem.
Not being able to articulate a thought is the worst part. I sound like an idiot. It's terrible.
Trying to stay positive is hard sometimes. Even for me.
I know this blog is typically sunshine and rainbows but right now I am just gonna beg for your good thoughts and prayers.
Please.
My Doctor is has prescribed a new med for me. This med is typically used for depression but is also often used for nerve pain. I am hoping it will not only help the pain but will make me feel better about life in general.
Have you talked to your Doctor about the shingles vaccine? DO IT!! Typically shingles happens after the body goes through stress (like mine, almost dying) or a long hospital stay (like me 7 days ICU) but it can be picked up ANYTIME the immune system is compromised.
The pain is HORRIBLE...do yourself a favor and do whatever you can to avoid it!
March is filled with things to look forward to:
(no particular order)
1. weekend in Monterey for a wedding/getaway with the hubz.
2. SPRING!!!
3. weekend in Hollister to see my adorable niece perform in Annie (my sis is the musical director too) and spend time with my family, who we haven't seen since November
4. Big Daddy has 2 weeks vacation
5. Stay-cation goodness
6. I WILL be better, the new meds will work and prayers WILL be answered
7. My folks come home from their 2 year mission in Colorado
8. I get to send my Favorite Things to a bloggy friend
9. I get to open a bloggy friend's Favorite Things that she send to me
OK I ended it all on a high note. Blogging IS healing, thanks for listening!!
I already feel better
I have been getting a lot of comments and email asking how I am feeling Health Wise these days. I appreciate the love and concern, really I do. I can honestly say I am feeling really pretty good. I haven't needed the full dose of neurotin (nerve pain meds) for a few days now and I am thinking of stopping taking them all together. I don't care for the way they make me feel and the nerve pain is pretty much gone. I am also falling over a lot less which has made me feel a little more brave and on sunny days I even went for a few walks. I can't wait to be able to drive again! I still have the stutter. I am trying to determine if that is from almost dying or from all the meds, I suppose time will tell...but it hurts my self esteem a little. Silly, but true.
Again, ask your doctor about the shingles vaccine...trust me WORST. PAIN. EVER.
The weather was BEAUTIFUL here for a few days. Yesterday was the beginning of the gloom that will be hanging out for a while. I don't totally mind rainy days, as long as I can stay home in my slippers.
Jordan has been playing a little church basketball lately. The other night she came home from practice and when I asked her how it was she said, "I think I get more awesome everyday!" Nothing wrong with this kid's self efficacy...that's for sure!
I am trying to get more active over at CafeMom they have a new group for ParentingPositiveKids...great discussions going on over there. My user name is MamarazziCFG if you are a member (or join for free) add me as a friend...I would love that.
I have also been busy with Fishful Thinking...want a quick smile? Check out this little video, works for me every time.
Dear Jordan,
You are always so willing to help out, I love that about you. So when I asked you to please get the clothes from the dryer...I meant ALL of the clothes, not just yours. BUT thank you for folding the clothes you DID take out AND putting them away. I love you for that.
Sincerely,
a really happy mama to have such a great kiddo
Dear Big Daddy,
I know your clothes are usually clean and in your drawers or closet, but as you know we got a little behind on laundry last week. So when you went looking for that tee shirt you wanted to wear and found it in the dryer, it would have been SUPER helpful for you to take out the rest of the clothes in there.
THIS:
Is not your dresser OR your closet.
BUT I do appreciate the meals you have been making around here since I got sick. You are a really good cook. I might retire.
Sincerely,
your devoted and patient wife
Dear Craig's List Guy,
When you show up on my doorstep and say, "I'm here for the dryer" and I say, "There is nothing wrong with our dryer" THAT was your first clue that you were at the wrong house so saying, "I know that's why I am here to buy it" was weird. Then when I say, "Our dryer is not for sale" THAT was your second clue that you were at the wrong house so responding by saying, "yes it is, it's on Craig's list" was even weirder. Then when I say, "nope wrong house" THAT was more than just a clue so saying, "yes I am I must have talked to your husband" just made me want to call the cops...especially when I saw you go across the street to the neighbors house after you left my house.
So I did.
Got a clue yet?
Sincerely,
Mamarazzi...don't mess with me
for more Open Letters go to shortmama's.
f. IF you have participated in a swap with me before please list past partners so I don't match you up with the same person AGAIN!
5. I will reply to your email. Once you have replied to that *RSVP* email then you are officially part of the swap ( I need to know we are communicating and that my email is getting to you and visa versa). *once all RSVPs are received I WILL MATCH YOU UP AND SEND YOU YOUR PARTNERS INFORMATION* the SAME person you SEND to is the SAME person your RECEIVE from...no secrets here, just new bloggy friends! So YES go say hello and start following each other’s blogs.
6. Once you receive your package in the mail create a post using pictures on your blog. Be sure to link your partner and Dandelion Wishes (you can just use the button again; I will create a new code to grab for your convenience). I will have a Mr. Linky for everyone to use so we can all hop around the blogosphere checking out every one's loot!
NO LONGER TAKING RSVPs
PHEW...get all that? Well Roxane shares her FANTASTIC swap story HERE. Seriously folks this is why i do this and the reason for all the rules...true love and new bloggy-to-real-life-friends.
Oh love..love love L-O-V-E loooooooooove!!
I had the most wonderful date with my Valentine last night. We started out with a movie "Valentine's Day" it was cute, we laughed and cried...it was everything I hoped it would be and everything Big Daddy expected. He enjoyed it, but was happy I loved it. He is awesome like that, not afraid of a 'chick flick'.
We went to our favorite local Sushi place where we enjoyed a deeeeeelicious meal and spent the next 2 plus hours taking up a table in the corner talking and laughing and just enjoying each other's company.
It was great. It was what we needed. It needs to happen more often.
Our life together completely revolves around J and her needs and sometimes we forget to take time for just us.
I think most parents do that, right?
I wonder why? I mean i KNOW why...we all want what is best for our kids. We want to make sure WE are the ones making things happen for our kids. Simple day to day like meals, education, spiritual and emotional needs.
But what about happy, connected parents..a TRUE example of what "Happily Ever After" looks like...what about that?!
When I was a kid my parents were VERY affectionate and loving. I never once questioned if they loved each other and as I got older were "hot" for each other. My siblings and I would say "get a room" and they would reply, "we did, we chose this one". Its was sometimes embarrassing, after all my friends parents NEVER made out in the kitchen, at least not when their kids had friends over.
Now I get it...totally. They may not have been doing it intentionally but MY parents were just being GOOD parents. I am thankful for that.
Anyway I want J to see what "Happily Ever After" looks like, I am going to continue to make out in the kitchen, smile when Big Daddy smacks me on the bottom when I walk past him. I am going to continue to say "I love you" as many times as I can fit it into the day.
And continue to pray that her FOREVER, ETERNAL Valentine is just as amazing as her daddy.
That would be awesome.
I love you Boo Boo...Happy Valentine's Day!!!
PS. you are HOT!
Ah, the garbage can... 
Sometimes Big Daddy will delegate to J when she sweetly comes to him and with sugar dripping off her lips asks, "anything you need me to do daddy?" (oh how i looooove those moments, so few, so fleeting, so wonderful and so reserved for Big Daddy.)
I DO know that I personally have not taken the garbage out in at least 3 months since, as you know from previous posts, I have been sick and unable to help in many household chores.
So recently, when I was having a "good day" and actually had the energy to do a little picking up around the house and found the can full I decided to take out the garbage.
When I returned with a new bag for the can I found this...
Really people?
When you opened the can and realized there wasn't a bag in their you STILL dropped in your trash?
AND
When you went to put the new bag in and SAW the trash you just put the bag in ON TOP of the trash?
yea, me too.
What? Y'all thought I was a perfect housekeeper or something?
I am thrilled to be co hosting Photo Story Friday with my dear friend Cecily. She is an amazing photographer and writer and a super cool mom. Her facebook updates and blog posts about the creativity of her children and the humor she sees in it all, remind me that time passes quickly so soak up the moments...including the sharpie on the toddler and the cinnamon in the sofa!
To play Photo Story Friday, check this. Copy this code into your post and sign the link list:
Grab the code and add fishing to your blog!
