Blah...

That's how Wal-mart makes me feel.

31/365

So 2 hours and a whole lot of money later... that's all I've got to show for it! :)

Chandler...

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*6 years old
*Incapable of speaking at a "normal" volume.... everything is loud!
*Wants to help.
*Wants to be a "big kid"
*Likes to take pictures.
*Loves TV!
*Loves movies!
*Loves to eat out!
*Love to wrestle with her dad and sister.
*Likes to be "in charge".
*Loves her friends at school.
*Loves her friends at church.
*Loves her teachers at school and church.
*Loves to sing... ALL THE TIME... LOUDLY... IN THE CAR!
*A good kid
*Is capable of the most convincing stories (lies)... it's scary how good she is!

We're working on that last one!



In training news:
Last night I ran 2/3 and walked 1/3 and DIDN'T feel like dying.

Tonight I ran 2/3 and walked 1/3 and felt like I was dying! lol

One of a kind...

That's my Riley...

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Just recently she has started sleeping with a bed FULL of babies!

She arranges them all in her crib.
Brandon asks her, "Where are you supposed to sleep??"
She just smiles.


This is her at dinner tonight...

"Hey! Think I'll put this empty carry out box on my head!"

"It fits!"

"Did you see me??"

She is CRAZY! We never know what she might do!!

Must be love...

I know Trish loves me because we had dinner tonight after church and she gave me this:

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My collection is now complete!

Well, until EW come out with a "New Moon" cover! :)

THANKS TRISH!!! YOU'RE THE BEST!

Meet Jeremiah

Isn't he adorable?

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Jeremiah is the something "new" I mentioned in yesterday's post.
I got permission from his mom to blog about him.

His mom is a friend of mine and a teacher at Chandler's school. She and her husband found out that the place they were leaving Jeremiah during the day changed their hours of operation so she asked if I would be willing to watch him on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

I obviously said yes. :)

He's a very sweet boy and Riley just loved having him here today.

We need to work on her "quiet voice". I never realized how LOUD she is during the day!! Good grief that girl is noisy!

J: "Riley. Shhhh. We have to be quite. Jeremiah is sleeping."

R: At the top of her lungs, "SHHHHHH!!! BEBE IS SLEEPING" (as she RAN down the hallway past the room where he was sleeping)

I also discovered that the reason he was having a hard time falling asleep this morning was that Riley was going in and "checking on him" every time he made a bit of noise.

"Hey Bebe!"

"No No Bebe"

"HEY!"

Interpreted as, "Hey! I'm trying to watch cartoons! Get away from me!!"

In "training" news:

You're reading this post which means I survived not only the first HORRIBLE day of running, but also tonight's run. *I didn't have to put my head between my knees tonight... that's a step in the right direction!

No picture to post tonight.

There are 2 reasons for that...

1. I'm disappointed in myself. Yesterday I ran 2/3 and walked 1/3. Today I WALKED 2/3 and ran 1/3... It felt like my heart and lungs might explode so I had to walk my last lap instead of running it.

2. I didn't look nearly as cute tonight. Which means it's a really good thing my heart and lungs didn't explode... I would have hated for anyone at the hospital to see me the way I looked. :)
(I'm kidding... sort of!)

No running tomorrow. Wednesdays are our off day. :) Hallelujah!

Exercise might just kill me...

People, seriously...

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Me. Today. Just less than an hour ago.

Why am I doubled over with my head between my knees? I refer you to #7 on my list.

I don't consider myself to be really "out of shape"... ok, let me rephrase that... I DIDN'T consider myself to be really "out of shape", but apparently I am.

Brandon and I decided that today was the day to begin our training for our 5k.

Until today I didn't realize how hard running a 5k was really going to be.

I'm in trouble.

Of course, I have 2 months to get ready. I can waste no more time!

I was proud of myself today... I completed 1 mile. I walked for 1/3 and ran for 2/3. That's a BIG deal for me. I am NOT a runner. Never have been. If I'm honest with myself, I probably won't ever run again after this 5k.

So, if training for it doesn't kill me... I'll be sure to post a picture of me being drug over the finish line on March 28th.

**But aren't my new running clothes spiffy? :)

Monday, January 26th

1. Happy Australia Day to my Aussie friends... even though, technically, Australia Day is over in Australia. :) Crazy how that time difference thing works, ain't it?

2. Yesterday I laughed until I cried... several times in fact.

3. I didn't get my bathroom primed before the end of the week. It WILL be done this week.

4. I'm working on a plan for redecorating our bedroom... new paint, new colors, the works.

5. I'm working on cleaning up our bonus room today. Gotta get it done TODAY!

6. I'm starting something new tomorrow, but before I tell you about it, I have to get approval from someone. :)

7. I need to start training for my 5k on March 28th! (#7 on the list)

That's all I've got today...

What kind of random things are you thinking about?

To Knoxville and back again...

This afternoon the choir loaded up on a charter bus and drove to Knoxville to sing at a prayer conference.

I sat with Trish on the bus. Much laughter ensued.

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I mean like crazy amounts of laughter. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a LONG time.

I know Trish has a few "good" shots of me... I refrained from posting any really bad ones of her. :) Because I'm a good friend... and because she will "un-tag" herself in them if I post them on facebook.

After we sang, we stopped for dinner at Abuelo's.

Trish, Me, Ryan and Ashley

We all laughed pretty hard tonight.

I think a good time was had by all! Now I'm exhausted and headed to bed!

Typical Saturday...

Around the house. A little cleaning. Doing a whole lot of nothing.

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This was one of my Hobby Lobby purchases.

I'm going to hang it in my scrapbook room and use the shelves to display things I love. :)

Once it is hung and loaded up with my treasures, I'll post a picture of it.

IN OTHER NEWS:
My friend, Kim, had her twins today! She went in for a scheduled c-section. I haven't had a chance to talk to her since yesterday, but she sent me a text letting me know that the babies were in the NICU and she would give them a big kiss from me as soon as she saw them! :)

Welcome to the world precious baby girls! Can't wait to meet you!

Lazy Friday Night

This is us girls taking it easy on a Friday night...

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*Everyone got baths before dinner.
*We got into out pajamas (or in Riley's case, just a diaper!)
*No makeup and hardly any effort put into my hair... don't look too closely!
*"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" on the Disney Channel.
*Tons of pillows and blankets!!

I felt exhausted and just worn out all day so aside from a few loads of laundry, nothing else got done...
Well, I took care of Riley, took Chandler to and from school, and put a pizza in the oven for dinner.

While I was sitting in the car waiting for Chandler to get out of school, I finished the last chapter of "Playing for Pizza".
Not my favorite of John Grisham's novels, but in the end I did decide that I enjoyed the story... It is just a departure from his intense stories of crooked lawyers and corrupt legal systems.

If you want an easy read with a little football thrown in (American football played in Italy) and some Italian history and culture, then I recommend it. :)

The next book I'll be reading is "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer. It's our 1st Book Club book. :)

I'm more of a college football kind of gal...

Real life conversation between me and Brandon... one, I might add, that is slightly embarrassing. :)

After seeing a commercial for the Super Bowl:

J: "Who do we want to win the Super Bowl? I think I'm pulling for the Cardinals."

B: "Yeah, I'd kinda like for Kurt Warner to win."

J: "Who's that?"

B: "Wow. You are a girl." (he may have even shot me a look of disgust)

**In case you are like me and DON'T follow pro-football... Kurt Warner is the quarterback for the Cardinals. :)

Another week... another project...

This week we are tackling the bathroom...

The bathroom needs A LOT of work, but right now we are going with quick and fairly easy.

When we do our serious remodel (note #27 on 'the list') we will need to replace sub-flooring, the current linoleum, the cabinet and sink, and the tub... ok *need* and *would very much like to* are very different.

Need:
*sub-flooring
*get rid of the linoleum... it's pretty damaged
*have the pipes checked. we're pretty sure there's a small leak somewhere behind the wall that's causing problems with low water pressure.
*scrape all of the pealing paint off of the walls and repaint

Would very much like:
*new tub
*new cabinet and sink
*new toilet
*get rid of the peach tile that covers over 50% of the walls. *shudder*

So, for the quick and easy fix (a.k.a. all I can afford to do right now financially and time wise):
*scrape all of the pealing paint off of the walls
*prime the walls

Those 2 things alone have already created quite a mess. I'm pretty sure I'll be sweeping and vacuuming paint chips for the next several days!

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Brandon took this shot of me tonight using one of my Christmas gifts! Yes, MY Christmas gift... I asked for an electric hand sander for Christmas and Brandon's parents got one for me. :)

This was the first opportunity I've had to use it, and let me say, it works quite well.

**Do you see the horrible peach tile on the walls??? *shudder*

Tomorrow I'll try to get the walls primed. :)

And in other news:
I spent ALL of my birthday money at Hobby Lobby today and I didn't even step foot in the scrapbook aisles!

I went in to get 4 photo boxes (at 50% off) to start organizing 29 years worth of photos (#20 on 'the list')... When I walked in, I found that select home decor was 66% off.
I wandered around... I can NEVER find anything I want or like when I have money to spend, but I can find 100s of things I LOVE when I have no money at all.
Is it like for for anyone else?

Today must have been my lucky day. I had money AND I found great stuff.

I'll be hanging it throughout the house over the next few days (#23 on 'the list'). I'll be sure to post pictures when I'm done. :)

It's getting ridiculous!

This weather is killing me!!

7:15 am... on the way to Chandler's school...

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Is is spring yet?

Maybe I've done this before...

I get so many of these it's hard to remember...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
ummm.... Mom? Was I? I dont' think so. Jennifer was a VERY popular 70s/80s name!

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
monday... The lady at the pharmacy told me that my prescription was $45! Did I mention that it has been $25 a month for over 5 years??

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
sometimes... I'm trying to incorporate more of it into my scrapbooks... Denise says my kids will want to have samples of it some day...

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
turkey

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
yep. 2.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
well, it depends on the day...

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
uh yeah.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
yep. i still have 'em.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
i'm undecided on this one.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Honey Nut Clusters... however our stinkin' Walmart doesn't carry it anymore. UGH!

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
most of the time.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
mint chocolate chip.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
teeth.

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
do i have to pick just one?

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
tough one... it changes with my moods and what's currently going on in life.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
what kind of silly question is that? yes, but only if they have the time and are bored enough to do it! :)

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
grey running pants (not that i've been out running this morning!... unless you count running to the car) and white sneakers.

20. FAVORITE SOUNDS:
probably my kids laughing together.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
the occasional car driving by, "Finding Nemo" playing in the living room, the "beep" of my msn messenger when Evan sends me a message. :P

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
today? orange sherbet. i have no idea why? just sounds like me today.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
the beach.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
brandon this morning on the way to chandler's school.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
all 3 of them. :)

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
football!! not just football, but UGA football... Braves baseball is a close 2nd.

27. HAIR COLOR?
brown

28. EYE COLOR?
brown

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yep.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
home made mashed potatoes with extra salt and extra butter.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
well i don't like scary movies, but they don't all have to have happy endings either... tragic love stories are ok. ;)

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
is Jeff Dunham's Christmas Special a movie? no? ok then... "Across the Universe".

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
blue shirt. red sweatshirt. did i mention my wardrobe is quite impressive today? i just threw on the closest clothes that looked warm and ran out the door to get chandler to school.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
ummm... it's 11 degrees outside... i'm going with summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
both

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
i have no idea.

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
the people who have actual lives and things to do today! :)

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Playing for Pizza by John Grisham... not the most interesting book. that's sad because i've loved everything that i've read by him... up until this book.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
gateway computer logo... even though our gateway computer died a LONG time ago!

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
american idol, fringe, and Jeff Dumham's Christmas Special... SILENCE! I KILL YOU!

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
see question # 20

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
australia! :)

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
i guess singing.

46 WHERE WERE U BORN?
atlanta, georgia

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
everyones. :)

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
*sigh* the lee university symphonic band.

I feel like I'm in school all over again...

I'm STILL a procrastinator!!!

Two weeks ago, when school started back after Christmas break, Chandler came home with a letter from her teacher. In this letter it informed us (the parents) that Chandler (really meaning me and Brandon... really meaning me) needed to create a project for the 100th day of school. The project is due on January 21st.....

that's tomorrow in case you were wondering.

They gave a few ideas and suggestions about different projects... I had a few ideas at the time that I first read the letter...

that was two weeks ago.

Well, this evening after dinner, I noticed Chandler's school folder laying on the counter and I picked it up to sign it (we have to sign off on her behavior report each day). Inside the folder there was a note... a note that I did not look at last Thursday because I knew she wouldn't be going back to school until Tuesday because school was canceled last Friday. A note that I did not look at on Monday night because school was canceled again today.
The note said: DON'T FORGET YOUR 100th DAY OF SCHOOL PROJECT!

Uh Oh!!

So, I did the only thing I knew to do...

raid my scrapbook supplies!!!

Fortunately I had plenty of smiley face stickers that I bought for my Cherub Choir kids... sorry Cherubs! I'll have to buy more! :)

Chandler recently learned to count by 10s so we used this project as an opportunity to practice.

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100 Smiley Stickers by Chandler Miles

I'm sure there will be better projects turned in... and there will probably be some kids who had parents who completely forgot about the project.

We'll do better next time!

Snow Day!

So, it snowed today. Fortunately (or unfortunately... depending on where you live and how you feel about snow) it wasn't quite cold enough for it to stick.
We got just a bit that accumulated on our back deck, but that's about it.

19/365


Here's a quick video we took when we got home from shopping today...

It's Monday...

1. Chandler is out of school today. It's Martin Luther King Day.

2. I have been working in my guest room all weekend. I'm pretty pleased with the way it looks.

3. I spent several hours yesterday cleaning out the guest room closet and the hall closet.

4. Evan will now be able to hang clothes AND fit his suitcase in the closet while he's here! :)

5. That's really all I have for you...

Notes on my headboard...

So many of you commented on the headboard in my guestroom. Thanks for all of your wonderful comments!!

I just thought I'd let you know how I did it in case you were feeling crafty and creative!

I started off with my plain rectangular headboard.

I bought 2 rolls of foam batting from the fabric department at Wal-mart.

I cut the foam so it would over lap the top of the headboard and the sides by several inches. The headboard has a tendency to wobble and it was hitting up against the wall. The foam helps quite the hits against the wall as well as protect the wall (It has also helped stabilize the wobbling!).

I stapled the foam into place using a staple gun.

This first piece wasn't wide enough for the height of the headboard so I had to cut a second piece the same length to cover the bottom half of the headboard.

I wrapped it around the side and around the bottom and stapled again.

It REALLY helps to have a second set of hands during all of the stapling. Brandon held the foam in place as I stapled.


Next was the fabric.

I did not take the time to hem the edges of the fabric, so instead when I cut the fabric I left an extra 2 inches so that I could fold the edges over a few times before I stapled them.

I followed the same directions for fitting and stapling the fabric as I did for the foam.

It's VERY important to pull the fabric tight and to staple OFTEN. In some places I left too much space between the staples and the fabric isn't as tight in those places. At some point I'll probably have to go back and add some more staples... we would have done it then, but we didn't notice it until it was already reassembled and put back into place.

So there you have it... pretty easy... probably not the "correct" way to do it, but I was making it up as I went along and I like the results. :)

**The fabric is upholstery fabric that I bought in a big roll (at 75% off) when Hancock Fabric was going out of business here in town.

Her father's daughter...

This would make me gag...

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Riley enjoying a carton of cherry tomatoes.

I think more of them ended up on the floor than in her mouth, but it did keep her busy for a few minutes!

Success!!!

WAY back at post #101, I started a make over project. That was back in June... I started with the best of intentions, but life happens.

So, here we are 7 months later (almost to the day) and my guest room is finally finished.

I do have ONE more thing I want to do, but it wasn't on my original list so I'm calling the project complete based on the original desires I had for the room.

This is what the room looked like back in June...


What the room looked like back in October...

I spent a long weekend painting while Brandon and the girls were in Georgia...

I thought I was getting a nice "sunshine" yellow... instead I got Big Bird Barf Yellow!

I was frustrated and it took me over a month to work up the energy to repaint it!

This is what the room looks like today!!

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I still have plans to build a cornice for the window and cover it with the same fabric that's covering the headboard.
I bought a cheap curtain rod because I intend to hide it behind the cornice.

You can see all of my Twilight books on the shelf in this picture! :)
Yes, I have 2 copies of Twilight... one paperback, one hardback!

I liked the idea of having yellow in this room... the yellow wall paint didn't work out, but I added some daffodils. :)

You can see the moulding in each of these photos. We cut it, painted it, and hung it in less than 24 hours!

It really does give the room a finished feel. We love it.

I don't think that green plant/thing is going to stay on the dresser... I'm undecided about it.

I would like to point out the headboard... I LOVE IT! It's the same headboard that's in the picture from last June, but I padded it and covered it with upholstery fabric.

I would like to get new bedding, but I haven't found anythign I really love yet.

So, there you have it! Our new guest room!

COME FOR A VISIT! :)

We ain't afraid of a little cold...

That's not entirely true. I HATE the cold.

However, when you have a home project and you've told your bloggy friends that you WILL have that project completed by the end of the week... you brave the cold and do what you gotta do!

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Brandon being a good sport as he works outside in the cold (and dark) to cut the moulding for our guest room.

Brandon pulled out the hat and gloves for this project!

If it hadn't been so cold, I would have had him take a picture of me... I looked ridiculous!

You may have noticed on "the list" the "wear a cute hat" goal. I DON'T wear hats. I think I look goofy in them... most of my adult life my hair has been so short that when I put a hat on, you can't see any of my hair... as if I don't have any. Therefore I do not wear them and that's why it's on my list.

Anyway, even in the freezing cold I refused to wear a hat. My ensemble consisted of my jeans and thin sweater I wore all day, Brandon's bright blue ski jacket (WAY too big for me) and my green and yellow Wallabies scarf WRAPPED AROUND MY HEAD to cover my neck and ears while still allowing me to see. :)

We had 4 pieces of moulding to cut tonight... one to cut tomorrow because it will involve some more complicated cuts than the ones tonight.

Did I mention it was 19 degrees today? (-7 for you Aussies!) That was 19 degrees while the sun was out! Who knows how cold it was while we were outside at night!

30 Things To Do Before I'm 30...

Ok. I'm finally finished.

This list is quite an assortment. From silly quick things to involved year long processes!

I tried to be practical while still pushing myself to work. I couldn't very well put down "Take a trip to Paris" even though I would LOVE to go to Paris this year... it just ain't happening. :)

I also tried to list things that could actually be measured... actually physically completed, but there are 2 things on the list that may be hard to measure.

So without further ado... in no particular order... I present my list of "30 Things To Do Before I'm 30"!

1. Reconnect with old friends. Call Kristy, Heather, Kim and Crystal once a month... every month.

2. Plan a trip with my high school pals (see list above!).

3. Meet Kim's baby girls (who have not yet arrived, but it's looking like they will be here before the end of next week! YAY KIM!!).

4. Go to Decatur, GA and visit my elementary school friends. Many of which I am reconnecting with via Facebook.

5. Stop biting my fingernails... AGAIN!

6. Work out 3 times a week.

7. Run a 5k. There is one on March 28th to support Cystic Fibrosis.

8. Learn to apply my makeup better.

9. Work on having better posture. :) That one is just for my dad who always pulls my shoulders back we he sees me slouching over.

10. Be more confidant.

11. Play my violin again.

12. Visit the west coast.

13. Join a book club. (CHECK!)

14. Audition for a play.

15. Scrapbook 1 weekend every month.

16. Help build a house with Habitat for Humanity. (This is the one Jaime can help me with since she is the person that organizes the volunteers!)

17. Start donating blood again.

18. Learn to make Saige's "state pillows".

19. Finish my kitchen cabinet remodel.

20. Organize all of our photos into boxes by date.

21. Create files for vacation souvenirs that need to be put into scrapbooks.

22. Make an 8x8 scrapbook of our Disney Vacation.

23. Hang stuff on the walls in my house.

24. Send more handwritten notes... randomly.

25. Wear a cute hat.

26. Pay off credit card debt.

27. Remodel our bathroom.

28. Get rid of clutter!

29. Become more disciplined in household chores.

30. Tile my back splash.

So, there you have it... I better get started!

Because you asked...

Several people have commented on my shirt in this post, and wanted to know where I bought it. It came from Old Navy just after Thanksgiving.

I looked to see if they had any online, but didn't have any luck. Sorry, but thanks for all the compliments! :)

Another insight into who I am...

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Here I am at my desk... again.

I got so many positive responses from this blog, that I decided to do another one.

The notepad:
*It contains my list of 30 Things To Do Before I'm 30...
I'm still working on it.
In fact, while I was at my first book club meeting tonight I remembered something I wanted to add to my list... just so happens that my friend, Jaime (the book club organizer) can help me check this item off. :) **More on that later**

My hand:
*The pen I'm holding is BRAND NEW... as in just recently in stores...
It's a Sharpie Pen.
Not to be confused with the Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker.

I LOVE Sharpies. I love them. I love that when I write with them it is PERMANENT. :)

I use the Ultra Fine Point Permanent Marker ALL THE TIME, but it bleeds when I write on paper... The answer to my problem: The Sharpie Pen.
Thank you Sharpie People. You make me happy. :)

I must get these in all available colors!!

The mug:
*Recognize this mug? Maybe from Monica's kitchen shelf over her sink in Friends?

Well, my parents had these mugs WAY before Friends ever aired... In fact, they had them before I was even born.

One time the shelf with all the mugs hanging on it fell off the wall... ALL of the mugs broke EXCEPT for this one and it's twin mug.
I think my mom's response was something like, "You've got to be kidding me!! These 2 ugly mugs survived, when all the others shattered!!!"

Well, mom. I love this mug. Always have. That's why it holds pens and other various things in a spot where I can look at it everyday. :)

I have no idea who has the other one... my sister maybe? I'd love to have both of them (hint, hint Erin).

The basket:
*It holds bills, calculators, and other random papers.
I really need a better system... I'm trying to come up with something that will work for us.

The plastic bin:
*It holds 12x12 scrapbook paper. It's 3 drawers and it's CRAMMED FULL of paper, pictures and scrapbook accessories that won't fit in the smaller plastic organizer on the other side of my computer.

The bottle of superglue:
*Used to repair all of the Christmas ornaments that my kids broke this year!

So there you have it!
I'm hoping my list will be done soon... I'll share it with you as soon as possible! :)

The count down to 30 has begun...

Yep... I'm 29. Only 364 days till the big 3-0. Wow... that's depressing! :)

So, my day wasn't too bad. Riley was in a funk all day... that was difficult.

Thank you to my little blogging community for your lovely birthday wishes! Every single one of them was special and really made my day!!

After church tonight, Brandon surprised me with a cake...

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This picture is just for Mummy McT. She told me that today's Project 365 photo HAD to be one of myself...

Chandler shared her birthday crown with me. :)

Here is my yummy cake. It was so rick I couldn't finish my piece, but it was DELICIOUS!
Thankfully there were only 8 candles this year... I don't think we even had 29 candles!

This is a Project Chandler photo.
She wanted to take pictures of me opening my presents.
I guess she's been the subject of tons of birthday photos... it must be rubbing off on her!
Birthday = Pictures!

Brandon bought me a HUGE pack of Twizzlers.
I LOVE TWIZZLERS!

Chandler had a present for me too.
She gave me her backpack and told me to look inside for my gift...
She had "wrapped" one of her blankets in her backpack.
I thought it was sweet.

So, all in all, not a bad day! :)

**I'm pretty sure this is my first post EVER that has had only pictures of me! UGH!

Off to a pretty good start...

*Sigh* Today is the day... my 29th birthday.

I woke up feeling OLD. I didn't sleep well last night. I tossed and turned all night long... I had a lot on my mind.

Anyway... this morning Brandon told me happy birthday before he headed off to work... more like told the back of my head happy birthday... I had a hard time dragging myself out of bed!

Chandler and I had this conversation as we passed in the hallway:

J: "You know what today is?"
C: "Ummmm... your birthday?"
J: "Yep. I'm old Chan."
C: "No you're not. You don't have grey hair."
J: "Oh I have some."
C: "Lemme see." She careful examines my horrible bed head hair. "I don't see any."
J: "Thanks Chan."
C: "You're welcome."
J: "Did you get me a present?"
C: Worried look on her face "Ummmm... I don't think so. But maybe Daddy did."
J: "Oh. Ok. That's alright. Do you have something you want to say to me?"
C: "Ummmmm... Happy Birthday?"
J: "Thanks Chan. Go grab your shoes so we can leave for school."
C: "Ok. Hey Mom?"
J: "Yeah?"
C: "You're not as old as Grammy."

I took Chandler to school. I came home. I checked my e-mail. I had all kinds of wonderful birthday wishes from friends and family (mostly on my facebook account).

I checked the blogs that I read daily and came across this post from Kristy.

Thanks Kristy! You have absolutely NO IDEA how much that meant to me!

Your post made me think about this...

Last year a few things happened (or didn't happen) that had me a little anxious about today... it doesn't really matter what those things were... and now, a year later, on my actual birthday, I realize that I wasted time last year being worried, frustrated and disappointed over people and things that really shouldn't matter.

Happy Birthday To Me!

Does that mean I'm growing up AND getting old?? UGH!

**Maybe Riley will make me another cake this year!

Wii start them early...

Even Riley is getting into the Wii action!

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Riley decided to play a little Wii while I folded clothes today. :)

Tonight we went to Logan's to celebrate my birthday (a night early). Wednesday nights are hard nights to try to go out for dinner since I have to be at the church at 6pm to get ready to teach my preschool students.
Yep, we went to Logan's last year on my birthday too... and possibly the 2 years prior as well. Apparently it's becoming a tradition!

After dinner we headed over to Lowe's to pick out our new door. They didn't have it in stock so they are going to order it. It should be ready to be installed in 2 weeks!

We also purchased the moulding for the guest room... CHECK!

Sorry this is a boring post... I used up all of my creative juices on the Play-Doh post! :)

To the people at Play-Doh

To whom it may concern,

I would like to thank you for having the forethought to create Play-Doh in a NONTOXIC form.

This is not the first time I've thought this.
I thought it once while I was working at a daycamp and one of the kids took a bite out of her Play-Doh creation.
I thought it once while I was babysitting and one of the kids fed some Play-Doh to her sibling.
I thought it once while working in a classroom full of 2 year old at church and I noticed a big bite taken out of the Play-Doh as I was collecting it.

The reason I write to you today is because I've never been more thankful for your NONTOXIC Play-Doh than I am today.

You see, my daughter, Riley, is 22 months old and she has recently discovered the enjoyment that is sitting at the table and rolling Play-Doh with a rolling pin.

She has taken to doing this almost daily.

I've suspected that she might be "taste testing" her projects from time to time, but I've never actually had proof.

That is, until today.

I have just discovered that several of our 2 ounce containers of Play-Doh now contain significantly less than 2 ounces.

Apparently that lovely light brown, beautiful bubble gum pink and the shocking green apple must be the most tasty. Maybe it's just that she's a fan of those colors. She is after all, my daughter.

Don't worry, she's an equal opportunity taster. All colors have been tasted.

I guess you can say Riley has literally tasted the rainbow.

Sincerely and with all my thanks and appreciation for my child's safety,

Jennifer Miles

Possibly the most perfect job ever...

Here, on the eve of my 29th birthday, I have found the perfect job...

Possibly the most perfect job ever

Even though the description says that the job is open to anyone, I'm pretty sure they would rather hire a local. :)

Making Progress!

A few posts back I declared this as the Year of Serious Home Improvement. :)

Well, hopefully...

Anyway, we are off to a good start.

I've made a list of projects to complete this week AND next week. Fortunately they are projects that I can work on while Brandon is at work (assuming Riley cooperates!) and then he can help me with "his part" in the evenings.

Today I purchased a TV stand from Walmart...
I had seen it online and it seemed to be just what we needed. According to the website, they don't carry it in the store so we knew we would have to order it.
On a random trip down the furniture aisle today, Riley and I happened upon the TV stand we saw online!
I bought it. I brought it home. I assembled it... Brandon had to help me with some of it. :)

I'm normally quite good at following directions and assembling furniture, but I had some problems with this one.
In my defense, the directions were stupid! Only pictures. No words. NONE.

Once I figured out what I did wrong, it was a pretty simple fix... it just required an extra set of hands.

It started out like this... yes, I assembled it AROUND the toys on the floor!

12/365

The finished product.

It now houses the Wii... that means the Wii is out of my living room!

I'm shopping around for some small baskets or plastic bins to hold the Wii accessories.

This may not seem like a serious home improvement project to some people, but it's something we've just been putting off and now I can check it off of my "to-do list"!! :)

Yesterday, Brandon cut another shelf for the bathroom closet... we've only been saying we would do that since October 2005.

On list list to work on the rest of the week:
*Moulding in the guest room
*A window treatment in the guest room

I'll take pictures when it's done.

I know. I know. My guest room was supposed to be finished by Labor Day. Then I told you it would be done before Christmas... BUT... I decided on a few other things I wanted to add to the original list so HOPEFULLY it will be done this week. :)

Monday Mumblings: Injuries and whatnot

1. My tooth is "less loose" today.

2. I grind my teeth at night so I'm kind of surprised it didn't fall out over night!

3. I had to take Brandon to the eye doctor this morning.

4. He had a "cornea abrasion"... the culprit? Riley.
After my post yesterday, are you really very surprised?

5. This is his 2nd cornea abrasion in 5 years!
The first one was courtesy of Chandler at 7 months old... babies have SHARP fingernails!

6. Currently he's laying in the bed attempting to sleep.

7. I asked him if I could lay in the bed all day if I had a cornea abrasion. :)

8. He threatened to give me one! :)

9. I had a leftover cupcake (from Chandler's party) for breakfast this morning... that's been the highpoint of the day so far!

10. I finally printed my pictures from Australia. They are going into a fun photo album today... I bought it at Target back in October.

*sigh* Here's to hoping that this day gets better from here!

*sigh*

This has just been one of THOSE days.

I'm not even really sure why... it just has.

We got off to a rocky start this morning. There was a cup of coffee, a small child and a brand new off white turtle neck shirt all involved... just as we were walking out the door to church. *sigh*

Church.
Lunch at Cracker Barrel with Brian & Trish.

Home to clean...
We all helped clean the girls' room... it was a disaster!

I sat down for a minute to help Chandler with a Mario Kart race course (Mario Kart for the Wii was her birthday gift from me and Brandon)... in the midst of helping Chandler, Riley was wiggling all over my lap... screaming... she popped up and hit my chin with her head... the result? I now have a loose bottom front tooth and a tiny chip in my top front tooth. *sigh*

Worked in the kitchen... Washed the top of the fridge. :) Cleaned the counters. Washed them down with disinfectant wipes.

Washed 4 loads of laundry and still have atleast 2 more to do. *sigh*

Brandon put a frozen pizza in the oven for dinner.

Riley refused to eat her pizza. Instead, she ate the cheese out of my salad.

Apparently she's still hungry... this is what I just found...

11/365

Please ignore my nasty floor... it's time to mop!

Riley carried her stool into the kitchen and helped herself to several handfuls of Hershey's Kisses. *sigh*

Is it bedtime yet?

Bowling...

Today we had Chandler's birthday party at the bowling alley... is it just me, or does it seem like Chandler's birthday has lasted for FOREVER!?!?!?

10/365

She got a birthday bowling pin. :)
All of her friends signed it at the end of the party.

Here are just a few of my favorites from the day...

Doesn't she look so grown up... leaning against the wall with that smirky little smile. :)

Riley eating her pizza... literally right off of the plate!

It was a lot of fun.
I think all of the kids enjoyed themselves.
I KNOW Chan and Riley did. :)

Success!

Rumors

Rumor has it that Delta Airlines will soon be offering a nonstop flight from Atlanta to Sydney.

I get inside info because Cousin Brett works at the airport in Atlanta AND his dad, my Uncle Mike, works for Delta. :)

Delta just merged with Northwest Airlines and this flight will be something new starting in June... but like I said, rumor has it.

So, if any of my lovely Australian blogging buddies are considering a trip to the east coast of the United States... I'm only 2.5 hours from Atlanta AND we have a guest room!

I'm excited because maybe this means a return trip to Sydney isn't 10+ years away like I was afraid it might be! :)

Anyone up for a trip?


***Edited to add: Cousin Brett has just informed me that the flight will NOT be non-stop from Atlanta to Sydney, but they will have an L.A. to Sydney flight beginning July 1st. That's still happy news!

Where you can find me...

9/365

I was inspired by Jaime's picture on January 2nd.

So, there's a lot to learn from this picture... you ready?

Let's start with my phone... laying in front of the keyboard.
*I LOVE MY NEW PHONE! It's red... that alone makes me love it, but it's cool too! :)

My hands...
*I always type with my fingers on the correct keys... Thank you ole' what's-her-name that taught my 6th grade keyboard class. :)

My arm...
*I LOVE MY NEW PJS!!! I got them this week at Target. They are bright pink with white piping and have little gingerbread men on them. I saw them back before Christmas and REALLY wanted them, but I resisted... until this past Wednesday. :) Got them for 50% off!! YAY ME!

To the left of my arm...
*Scrapbook resources and supplies. The books, binders and magazines are all ideas for fantastic pages that are just WAITING for me! The white plastic organizer holds all sorts of fun scrapbook supplies... stickers, embellishments, notecards with more ideas on them, etc...

In the middle of the picture, behind the keyboard...
*My miniature Eiffel Tower bought all the way from Paris by non other than... Cousin Brett. :) Brett's brother, Bobby, is in the AirForce and is currently stationed at a base in Ramstein, Germany. Brett and his parents (Aunt Karen and Uncle Mike) went to visit Bobby this past year and I requested this little Eiffel Tower...
One day, I'll see the real thing... up close and personal. :)

On my computer monitor...
*Simplify. One of my many goals for myself. In so many different areas of life. This little rub on serves as a daily reminder.



Tonight, Melanie sent me a text message with an offer to meet her at the theatre for a girl's night out... Brandon gave me the "go ahead" and I was off!
We saw, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"... I really enjoyed it, but I cried... a lot. :)
*It has renewed my love for Brad Pitt (who honestly, was becoming less and less attractive me as of late). His New Orleans accent (in my opinion) was spot on and VERY charming!
*Cate Blanchett was STUNNING! Her skin is gorgeous!
*It made me want to take ballet lessons!


On a much more serious note...
Please pray for my high school friend, Kim.
Kim and her husband, Neill, are expecting twins. They had a bit of a scare today... I'm not 100% sure how far along she is, but she's far enough for the girls (identical twin girls) to be born next week... They are measuring about 5 lbs each... I've heard that's a good weight for twins.
There is some concern about gallstones in Baby A and Baby B has some calcification on her chest and in the placenta.
Kim was sent for tests this evening. Once the results are back, they will make a decision about delivery.
Kim is worried (what mom wouldn't be?!?!), but she has faith in her doctor and has been encouraged by how pro-active the doctor has been. NICU has already been briefed on Kim's pregnancy and they are ready for the girls when the time comes.

I have faith in God and He knows exactly what He's doing.

So please say a prayer for Kim, Neill and their families. They need peace, wisdom and comfort right now.

'Nother one stolen....

Stole this from Kristy... again. :)

It's helping me get motivated to finish my 30 things to do before I'm 30 list.

Things I have done in my life (in bold):

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (I guess marching band counts, right?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (scrapbooking)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (well technically I just helped Brandon!)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (I'm actually going to start training for a 1/2 marathon... pray for me!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I think my mom actually did more of the selling part!)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (no, but I've had chicken hearts!)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (maybe this year???)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (only fractures)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle (I rode with my dad when I was little... I don't know if it was a speeding motorcycle or not!)
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club (It starts on Jan. 15!!)
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Wow... I haven't done much. :)

A little prayer...

Say a quick prayer for my friend,Emily. I just heard that she's headed to the hospital to deliver a sweet, new baby boy... this will be her 3rd child. :)

Can't wait to meet him!

Ah the Birthday Crown!

So, I know you are just DYING to hear.... Did Chandler get to wear the Birthday Crown?

8/365

Yes. Yes she did!

I dropped Chandler off at school this morning and then headed home to get Riley and myself ready for the day.
I dropped Riley off at Becky's house and headed back to Chandler's school.

I got there just as her class was walking to the cafeteria.

We sat together at lunch. I watched her interact with her classmates... priceless! They are too funny!
Have you ever had lunch with 20 kindergarten students?? It's an experience EVERY parent should have! :)

We passed out the cupcakes. Some of the kids were SO polite! I was very impressed... "Thank you for the cupcakes Chandler's mom." :)

I went back to her class for about an hour... I was very interested to see what she actually does in her class. It was very insightful... she knows a whole lot more than she lets on at home! Sneaky kid!

I left her as her class was lining up to go to the computer lab.

It was a great day!

**Tomorrow the nice guy from Lowe's is coming to measure for our new front door!! WOO HOO!

So all in all it wasn't too bad...

Chandler ended up having a nice birthday.

She thanks you all for your lovely thoughts and wishes for a happy day!

She had phone calls from friends and family in addition to your comments, e-mails, and Facebook messages.

First there was a call from Evan. If you ask Chandler about it, she will tell you, "he called ALL THE WAY FROM AUSTRALIA!"

Followed by calls from Grammy & Squire, Gran & Chief, and Aunt Erin (sorry we didn't call you back Erin!)

We went to the post office to pick up a packaged and she informed me that this was, "the biggest package EVER!"
Thanks Gran... your timing was PERFECT!

We came home and she unwrapped all of the treasures inside the "biggest package ever".

At church tonight she got a gift of CASH from a friend of ours and she even found a CROWN to wear!

So she was a happy camper as she climbed into bed tonight (in her new PJs from Gran)... especially after she remembered that tomorrow we are having lunch together and cupcakes with her class!

7/365

I just can't believe that she's 6 years old!

The most sad girl in the world...

Chandler was SO excited about taking cupcakes to school tomorrow to celebrate her birthday... the big number 6!! The plan was for me to bring cupcakes and our lunch to school tomorrow at 10:30 to have a little birthday party with her school friends... because heaven knows I can't afford to take all 20 of them bowling!

I got a call tonight from my neighbor (and wonderful friend) Becky... she was going to keep Riley tomorrow so I could actually enjoy lunch... not chase Riley around the cafeteria... I could hear the dread in Becky's voice...

B: Hey Jen. I just a call about school being closed tomorrow.

J: WHAT!?!?! WHY!?!?!

B: Something about the rain.

UGH! Only here would they close school on my child's birthday because it rained TODAY!

Now, it did rain a WHOLE LOT, but come on! Canceling school!?!?

So I broke the news to Chandler...

J: Hey Chan? I need to tell you something and it's not very good news.
C: Ok.
J: There's not going to be an school tomorrow.
C: WHAT! (tears already in her eyes)
J: Yeah. It rained so hard today that they canceled school.
C: BUT (sob) NOW I (sob) WON'T GET TO WEAR (sob) THE BIRTHDAY (sob) CROWN! (sob)
J: I'll call Mrs. _______ tomorrow and ask her if you can wear it on Thursday.
C: But she'll say NO because Thursday is NOT my birthday! January 7 is!
J: I'm sure she will understand.
C: It's just not fair.
J: I know Chan. You're right it's not fair.

**Her teacher knew we were planning to bring cupcakes and have lunch together so I'm sure she will be very understanding about the whole birthday crown situation.

6/365

Something else on my to do list...

Actually it's more like something else on my list of things to STOP doing.

I will not be the only one in this family taking pictures this year!

I'm NEVER in any pictures... it's my goal to BE in more pictures... not TAKING more pictures.

So, technically I didn't take today's Project 365 photo, but it's a picture that represents our days lately:

5/365

No. I'm not practicing to be one of Charlie's Angels. I'm actually doing one of the yoga poses on our Wii Fit... notice that Brandon is not letting my attempt at exercise bother his football game! :)

Brandon and I have been faithfully using the Wii Fit program in an attempt to be more active. Yes, we know that the Wii is not a substitute for getting out and actually doing physical activities as a family, but it's a good motivator on the yucky, cold, rainy nights... like tonight!

This is not the most flattering picture, but I have to loosen up and realize that if I want to be in pictures I can't be too picky about them! :)
Ugh... that's gonna be tough!