Favorite People in My Life

First and Foremost is my HUSBAND of 19 years!!! I would not be the person I am today without having had him in my life. He is my strength, my support, my best friend. He is my other half. This picture was taken on our anniversary in June.

Next would be my children....they bring equal amounts of joy and frustration to me daily, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Nina

Christopher

Kraig

Kyle (born sleeping 11-4-04)

And next would be my best friend (other than my husband)...Jenn. We met 7 years ago when her family moved to Memphis a month after our family had moved to Memphis. Her family moved to Washington in the late spring of 2006....but we continue to talk at least weekly, but often every day. We were even *finally* able to go visit her in spring of this year...it was AWESOME.

(She is on the left; that's me on the right.)

 

10 Things That Make Me Smile

I found this blog recently, and sometimes I find that we need to count our blessings.  Here are my 10 smiles for the day:

1.  Chris--My husband of  19 years.

2.  Kraig--he can always make me smile, even if I don't necessarily feel like it.  He has this way about him, an infectious laugh, and he is such a joy.

3.  Christopher--every time I stand next my 14 yo son, I have to smile.  The fact that I have look up to him makes me giggle.

4.  Nina--my now grown daughter had me pulling my hair out for awhile, but she is gradually becoming more grown up.  My smiles now are more the sad kind as I remember her days as a little girl.  My baby girl is all growed up....

5.  Baskin Robbins smoothie--this was an unplanned, spur of the moment date with my husband.  He owed me a smoothie from a couple of weeks ago, so we went tonight to collect.  Then went to the park to enjoy.  It was awesome.

7.  Crafts-- I have been crocheting alot lately...not as much as I should (thanks blogger!) but it is easy and portable....currently I am working on squares to  make a blanket for my husband.  It will be white with orange squares to form the University of Texas UT logo.  It didn't scan as well, but here is the pattern I designed.  The "x" are the orange squares (Pumpkin Spice is the yarn color) and the unmarked squares will be white.

6.  Fireworks--- I love to watch fireworks.  I am always amazed at the designs and variety of colors that can be made when they go off.

7.  Kraig at the water park--he LOVES the water, be it in the pool, at the park, in the tub or even just getting wet in the hose in the front yard. 

8.  Watching my children sleep--they are so peaceful (my husband and I tease that that is the only time they are good)...I love how my children can sleep through pretty much anything.  This was taken in May during tornadoe warnings....

9.  Sending well wishes to friends and family--I made a card for an aunt of my husbands and I made the anniversary card that I gave him this year.  I enjoy creating something beautiful from scratch and hope that the recipient feels a little happier when they receive it.

10. Not being missed by my children--sounds odd doesn't it? For about a year and a half I worked part time evenings at a grocery store (in addition to my full time job)...and the days I worked varied from week to week. Each day when I would come home to change clothes, Kraig would ask "Do you have to work again?" And it would break my heart to say yes....I quit recently for a variety of pressing reasons, but one of the greatest blessings is that now if/when he asks...I can smile and say NO!

Thank You Very Much Thursday

Thank you Very Much…. It's Free Therapy Day!! That's right, it's Thursday, which means it's the Thank You Very Much day. The way it works is that you take out all your frustrations on people/things that peeved you off during the week and thank them in a very sarcastic way, for being who or what they are/doing what they did. I know everyone can use some free therapy, so click the link below to join in so that we can all share in each other's therapy.

Thank you very much to doctor who continues to give vague answers and keep that little knot of worry in my heart.  (BTW..the doctor is actually great, even willing to match/waive the copay if necessary to have a procedure done at his office vs the one that wouldn't require a copay... but geez,  I am ready for some answers and resolution!)



Thank you very much to the TMJ attack I woke up with this morning that hasn't been relieved yet.  Makes eating and drinking so much more enjoyable.  Stress is great, isn't it?  I tend to grind my teeth in my sleep when I am stressed.....and I am beyond stressed right now. 





Thank you very much to the help desk associate who said I needed to see my charge nurse to have my password reset.....I don't work in the ED...I work in HIM...I don't have a charge nurse.  Thanks again for the heavy breathing in my ear while you looked up my account.  Really enjoyed it.

Thank You Very Much Thursday

Thank you Very Much…. It's Free Therapy Day!! That's right, it's Thursday, which means it's the Thank You Very Much day. The way it works is that you take out all your frustrations on people/things that peeved you off during the week and thank them in a very sarcastic way, for being who or what they are/doing what they did. I know everyone can use some free therapy, so click the link below to join in so that we can all share in each other's therapy.

Thank you very much to doctor who continues to give vague answers and keep that little knot of worry in my heart.  (BTW..the doctor is actually great, even willing to match/waive the copay if necessary to have a procedure done at his office vs the one that wouldn't require a copay... but geez,  I am ready for some answers and resolution!)



Thank you very much to the TMJ attack I woke up with this morning that hasn't been relieved yet.  Makes eating and drinking so much more enjoyable.  Stress is great, isn't it?  I tend to grind my teeth in my sleep when I am stressed.....and I am beyond stressed right now. 





Thank you very much to the help desk associate who said I needed to see my charge nurse to have my password reset.....I don't work in the ED...I work in HIM...I don't have a charge nurse.  Thanks again for the heavy breathing in my ear while you looked up my account.  Really enjoyed it.

Favorite Things--People in My Life

This one should be fairly easy:





My wonderful husband of 19 years:







This photo is from our anniversary this past June.



My 4 beautiful children:



Great Friends:





Coworkers:

Thank you Thursday....

Thank you Very Much…. It's Free Therapy Day!! That's right, it's Thursday, which means it's the Thank You Very Much day. The way it works is that you take out all your frustrations on people/things that peeved you off during the week and thank them in a very sarcastic way, for being who or what they are/doing what they did. I know everyone can use some free therapy, so click the link below to join in so that we can all share in each other's therapy.





 

Thank you very much to doctor who continues to give vague answers and keep that little knot of worry in my heart.  (BTW..the doctor is actually great, even willing to match/waive the copay if necessary to have a procedure done at his office vs the one that wouldn't require a copay... but geez,  I am ready for some answers and resolution!)



Thank you very much to the TMJ attack I woke up with this morning that hasn't been relieved yet.  Makes eating and drinking so much more enjoyable.  Stress is great, isn't it?  I tend to grind my teeth in my sleep when I am stressed.....and I am beyond stressed right now. 



Thank you very much to the help desk associate who said I needed to see my charge nurse to have my password reset.....I don't work in the ED...I work in HIM...I don't have a charge nurse.  Thanks again for the heavy breathing in my ear while you looked up my account.  Really enjoyed it.

10 things that make me smile

I found this blog recently, and sometimes I find that we need to count our blessings.  Here are my 10 smiles for the day:

1.  Kraig--he can always make me smile, even if I don't necessarily feel like it.  He has this way about him, an infectious laugh, and he is such a joy.

2.  Christopher--every time I stand next my 14 yo son, I have to smile.  The fact that I have look up to him makes me giggle.

3.  Chris--one of the things I love most about my husband is that he can always make me smile and make me laugh.  Always.

4.  Nina--my now grown daughter had me pulling my hair out for awhile, but she is gradually becoming more grown up.  My smiles now are more the sad kind as I remember her days as a little girl.  My baby girl is all growed up....

6.  Baskin Robbins smoothie--this was an unplanned, spur of the moment date with my husband.  He owed me a smoothie from a couple of weeks ago, so we went tonight to collect.  Then went to the park to enjoy.  It was awesome.

5.  Crafts-- I have been crocheting alot lately...not as much as I should (thanks blogger!) but it is easy and portable....currently I am working on squares to  make a blanket for my husband.  It will be white with orange squares to form the University of Texas UT logo.  It didn't scan as well, but here is the pattern I designed.  The "x" are the orange squares (Pumpkin Spice is the yarn color) and the unmarked squares will be white.

6.  Fireworks--- I love to watch fireworks.  I am always amazed at the designs and variety of colors that can be made when the go off.

7.  Kraig at the water park--he LOVES the water, be it in the pool, at the park, in the tub or even just getting wet in the hose in the front yard. 

8.  Watching my children sleep--they are so peaceful (my husband and I tease that that is the only time they are good)...I love how my children can sleep through pretty much anything.  This was taken in May during tornadoe warnings....

9.  Sending well wishes to friends and family--I made a card for an aunt of my husbands and I made the anniversary card that I gave him this year.  I enjoy creating something beautiful from scratch and hope that the recipient feels a little happier when they receive it.

10. Not being missed by my children--sounds odd doesn't it? For about a year and a half I worked part time evenings at a grocery store (in addition to my full time job)...and the days I worked varied from week to week. Each day when I would come home to change clothes, Kraig would ask "Do you have to work again?" And it would break my heart to say yes....I quit recently for a variety of pressing reasons, but one of the greatest blessings is that now if/when he asks...I can smile and say NO!

Friday Five...Random Questions

Friday Five...

 Five Random Question Time!

1.If you could be on a show(talk show, game show...) which one would you pick?

prob a talk show, but I don't really know which one...I don't really have an opportunity to watch them anymore, so I don't know the quality of what's available.  I would love to talk about the intricacies of loss in multiple birth...it is something only those who have experienced it understand. 

2. What was your first job?

like that I ever made money from?  I think I started babysitting when I was 11 or 12.  I cleaned one of my youth leaders homes for a short time in high school and I had a work study job in vocational school.  My first "real" long term paying job was as a  nurses' aide in a nursing home on the Alzheimer's unit.  It was challenging, but very interesting too.  I learned to appreciate my memory, my youth, and my back (I suffer from chronic back pain now as a result of all those years of improper lifting.)

3. What's one of your guilty pleasure?

my computer time..I spend way way too much time on here...but I love it so much!  It's one of my "me" time activities...it's how I keep my sanity, keep from pulling my hair out  and that of everyone around me.

4. Would you ever vacation alone?

probably not....though I would like to vacation with just my husband and I sometime in the near future.  We are planning a trip for just the two of us for our 20th anniversary next year....I am so excited!

5. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is)?

I don't really claim to be part of any one "party" .... I vote according to position on the issues at hand.  I do tend to vote republican more often than not, but it's not based on party; it based on the individuals.

Friday Five...Random Questions

Friday Five...

 Five Random Question Time!

1.If you could be on a show(talk show, game show...) which one would you pick?

prob a talk show, but I don't really know which one...I don't really have an opportunity to watch them anymore, so I don't know the quality of what's available.  I would love to talk about the intricacies of loss in multiple birth...it is something only those who have experienced it understand. 

2. What was your first job?

like that I ever made money from?  I think I started babysitting when I was 11 or 12.  I cleaned one of my youth leaders homes for a short time in high school and I had a work study job in vocational school.  My first "real" long term paying job was as a  nurses' aide in a nursing home on the Alzheimer's unit.  It was challenging, but very interesting too.  I learned to appreciate my memory, my youth, and my back (I suffer from chronic back pain now as a result of all those years of improper lifting.)

3. What's one of your guilty pleasure?

my computer time..I spend way way too much time on here...but I love it so much!  It's one of my "me" time activities...it's how I keep my sanity, keep from pulling my hair out  and that of everyone around me.

4. Would you ever vacation alone?

probably not....though I would like to vacation with just my husband and I sometime in the near future.  We are planning a trip for just the two of us for our 20th anniversary next year....I am so excited!

5. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is)?

I don't really claim to be part of any one "party" .... I vote according to position on the issues at hand.  I do tend to vote republican more often than not, but it's not based on party; it based on the individuals.

Monday Minute 7/26/10

Click above to join in!

1. Who is your "what-if" person?





(What-if person being what if I married this person or am now in a relationship with "this" person)



I have a 'what-if' person, but I am not going to waste use my precious blog space bandwidth to discuss it.  Suffice it to say...that what if  thankfully did not happen...and I am very very happy with my husband of 19 years.



2. What is your nickname?

depends on who you ask, I suppose...in high school, a friend gave me the nickname "Mich", but she was really the only one that called me that.  My husband has a few affectionate names he calls me (babe, hon, sweetie, etc)...but not really a "nickname".  I actually don't even really like them.



3. If you could choose how you died, how would you like to die?

well, that's not morbid, is it?  Um...in my sleep, not suffering, just go to sleep normally one night and not wake up.  If not in my sleep, then something quick and painless or at least a very short lived pain.





4. If you could have named yourself, which name would you have picked?

I don't know...other than the commonality of my name, I don't necessarily dislike it.  I do sometimes wish my first and middle names were reversed, as it is quite a pain to always correct everyone who sees my legal name and emphasize that I do not answer to  my first name except once, to tell you my middle name.  But Michelle _____ just doesn't sound the same....



5. Who were you named after or for what reason did your parents choose your name?

I believe my first name was the name of my mom's best friend at the time...but only because she needed a name to go with Michelle, not because it was her best friend.

Getting to Know ME 7/25/10

Click to join!

1. Thong or Granny Panties?

somewhere in between...just can't do the thong (gross) and grannies are so very unflattering!

2. If you see a guy with his fly down, do you tell him?

depends on who it is and how well I know him....



3. Spanx or no Spanx?

um no....gross



4. Do you sleep in your sheets?

i sleep between the sheets....



5. What is your favorite Disney character?

not sure I really have one...



6. Dream vacation spot?

a beach with mild temperatures, clear water, white sands, or a cruise ship

7. What is your dream job?

I guess a dream job would be to make money from my crafts, crochet and scrapbooking.  Not necessarily to replace my full time employment as 1) it is my career of choice, 2)  I love what I do and 3) I don't think the income could match what I currently make.

8. Who is your hero and why?

oh wow.  um....dictionary.com defines the word hero as "1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. 2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: 3. the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.

So...by that definition...I would have to say Jesus Christ.  He is a hero by all definitions cited above.  Not sure a "why" is even necessary...but because he allows the way for me to return to live with Heavenly Father and raise my family in the next life.

5 Question Friday (aka 5QF)

1. What were your school colors?

maroon and white (often silver and/or gray was used as well); ironically, my husband's school colors were also maroon and white and we did not even live near or know each other until after high school.  Even more quirky is that our daughter's school colors were (and now our sons are ) maroon and white as well.  We live in a different state even. 







2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

There are 3 that I can think of. 

--One was from a client viewing my scrapbook portfolio ( I have a fledgling scrapbooking for others business).  As she was looking, she said "You are some kind of talented."  I like to think I am good at what I do, but it's always nice to hear non-family think so too.

--Another I have heard from various persons over the course of the years in relation to my outlook and attitude regarding the challenges of my life.  "I don't know how you do it."  Sometimes, I am not sure it is always intended as a compliment but more as exasperation that I shouldn't do whatever it is...but that is simply not a choice I take. 

--And in a professional context, one my boss says often is "I will kill you if you leave."  It IS meant as a compliment, as I know he values my contributions to our dept.



3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

cheap!!!  it just goes down with the water anyway.....







4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

Yes, to both.  My mom, my sister, and one or two of my leaders from church were co-conspirators to throw me a surprise baby shower for my first pregnancy (my daughter).  It was pretty cool...they had invited some of my former teachers from school, former youth leaders from church, and family too. 

A few years ago, I helped to be the "distractor" if you will for my boss' surprise bday party.  We asked someone from another dept to schedule a meeting for both he and I to attend.  We of course walked to the "meeting" together...and it was our dept waiting for him.  The whole way, he kept saying "who schedules a meeting at lunch.  Who holds a meeting at 12 noon?  Who has a lunch meeting with no food?"  It was pretty awesome.  Of course, he was very quick to deflect the attentions from himself, as I had found out that day that I was pregnant with twins (a story for another time, if you don't already know the story).





5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

just one?!?!?!  geez.....um....it's a tie really....my camera and my laptop.  I am all about the pictures...and my laptop is practically an appendage...my life is on and with it.

July 23rd--Friday Fives

July 23rd- Five things that are on MY wish list

(in no particular order).

My home computer does not have Microsoft Word or any of those programs on it, so this has been on my list for a while.  I can work around it, but sometimes, I would like to just be able to open and save my stuff without special efforts.

This will likely not happen anytime soon...but it is a wish.  Sigh.

A truly dedicated, organized scrapbook room.  I do have a room that I can (and do) scrapbook in...but it is my home office, which means I don't necessarily have to put my in progress scrapbook projects away (like I used to when I used to kitchen table)...I can' leave it out indefinitely, either.  And besides, all those drawers and shelves and nooks and crannies are just too cool.

A year's supply of food storage.  Not even necessarily all nice and neat like this...but tucked away throughout my house would be one step from where I am now.

In my backyard, please.  Not Really.I don't want need to be rich...but having enough money to pay our bills and afford the things we want and need when we want and need them would be oh so nice.

One more for good measure....I would like to go inside the Temple..a Temple, any Temple of my church, as an adult, to receive the blessings that come from that.  This is the most do-able of my wish list...and I have set this as a goal to have happen by Christmas. 

I attended a workshop a few several years ago about time management, goal setting, etc.  One of the discussions was about  W.I.S.H. lists.

What I'll Someday Have

In this context, it makes keeping a WISH list a reality.  Because if you have something on your list that realistically can't or won't happen, then it is a DREAM. (Far be it from me to say that Dreams don't come true, but it is more rare than a WISH coming true.)

Favorite Things Project

Forrest Gump: Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been. I've worn lots of shoes. I bet if I think about it real hard I could remember my first pair of shoes.

Favourite Shoes I own

I have worn each of these in the past....not as much anymore, but not because I don't like them.  The boots hurt my feet.  The white ones are not as comfortable or flattering as I thought when I bought them. 

These I have worn alot.. or anticipate that I will. The one in the middle is new...just bought this week, so only worn once.  The leather ones on the left are actually glued together...the sole separated from the bottom....and the ones on the right--notice the heel insert.  Need I say more?

These are practically an appendage--I have many many pairs of flip flops.  My favorite shoe, all year long.  This just happens to be the pair that is out.

And these are my new favorite work shoes by far.  Also just purchased this week, but already worn 3 times.  I love love love them.  They were pricey...but they came with a one year warranty...WOW!

What I hope my shoes say about me is that I am all about comfort. I look for shoes that come off easily, and provide a soft place to stand. 

So, what do your shoes say about you?