Project 365: 1/6/11

I let Aubs give me a makeover today.  She asked that I close my eyes for the picture so everyone could really see her eye makeup job.  She is also the guest photographer for today.

Project 365: 1/5/11

Our new collection of Butterbeer glasses.  They have a commemorative glass for special events.  Shawn managed to collect six of them.  Being the Harry Potter fan that I am I jokingly said "We should use these as our new glasses" Shawn agreed so here they are.

Project 365: 1/4/11

Shawn with the Harry Potter Frog Choir.  Oh, how I love the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Shawn's company party was here this year.  We had it all to ourselves.  They set the food out to look like the tables in the Great Hall.  There was also hard cider aflowing.  That may or may not be what prompted me to exclaim "A Jacka** Hair" when asked what the core of Shawn's wand was.  This may seem mean but was said with love and is a joke that goes back to our first date and an unfortunate balloon artist.

Project 365: 1/3/11

We attended Shawn's annual Owner's Conference at the Buena Vista Palace.  It is a lovely facility and gets bonus points for being within walking distance of Downtown Disney. I really liked the way the sun made the building seem to glow.  I am quickly realizing why photographers refer to that hour before sunset as Golden Hour.  I love it.

Project 365: 1/2/11

I have been feeling a little down about my weight after the holidays and cruise.  I have gained a few pounds and after all the work I put in to lose it, I was feeling defeated.  However, tonight Aubs asked if she could try on my shirt because it looked like it may fit her.  I wore this on our Mexico day of the cruise.  I figure if my shirt can fit a seven year old, I can't be doing that bad.  Who knew a kiddo playing dress up could be so good for the psyche?

Update: How did I not notice this was my 700th post?

1/1/11 Project 365

I have decided to join Marie in the Project 365 challenge.  I made it through December, since it supposedly only takes 21 days to make a habit I should be set.  We'll see.  I would also like to read 52 new titles this year.  I am going to incorporate them into Project 365 so I have  a good record of when I finished each book.  Last year I used goodreads and I kept forgetting to update the finished date.  I did read around 46  new books as well as re-reading some old favorites.  I am starting with the final book in the Stieg Larrson Millenium Trilogy.  I am about a chapter in and just as hooked as I was with the first two. The bookmark was a lovely gift from my girl.

12/31/10 December Photo-A-Day

I can't believe I took and posted all 31 photos.  I also have a ton of bonus shots from the cruise and holidays.  This is what I woke up to today.  Aubs and Shawn were playing PS3 Modracers and had downloaded the OSU race.  I believe this shot is as they are on the way into the Shoe.

12/30/10 December Photo-A-Day

I cannot believe I am posting this.  I thought it was hilarious.  I thought the best way to take a self portrait and show off my new flat iron would be to set the camera to auto.  This was obviously a bad choice since I forgot that also means the flash can unexpectedly turn on.

12/29/10 December Photo-A-Day

My three girlies.  I love my daughter and my nieces.  It is so lovely having them on this side of town again.  I can go and borrow them whenever I want.  Aubs is obviously very sad they are so close.

12/28/10 December Photo-A-Day

Girls Night In! We had a slumber party with Kait and Keira.  It was a lovely evening filled with laughter and dancing.

12/27/10 December Photo-A-Day

Last load of laundry.  This is all I have left from the trip and surrounding days.  Please ignore the folded baskets of laundry in the background.  At least they are folded.

12/26/10 December Photo-A-Day

Holiday Dinner sliders served with green beans and mashed potatoes.  We had an amazing Christmas dinner of steak and baked potatoes.  Shawn still was in the mood for a turkey dinner.  I was feeling wiped out from the week so I came up with these.  They are turkey sliders topped with cheddar cheese and cranberry sauce.  Aubs loved them.

12/25/10 December Photo-A-Day

Santa brought the Michael Jackson Experience: Special Edition with glove.   She is currently insisting on wearing her Fedora to play Smooth Criminal.

12/24/10

Who knew that having a husband that is a percussionist would come in so handy while trying to hide gifts?  This also marked the first year that we had all presents wrapped before the middle of the night on Christmas Day.

12/23/10 December Photo-A-Day

Supposed to be wrapping gifts.  I was otherwise detained. (Work schedule shifted again.  No worries it is all for a good cause.  Baby Sya was welcomed into the world.)

12/22/10 December Photo-A-Day

 Since Aubs lives far away from snow my parents started her a snowman collection.

12/21/10 December Photo-A-Day

I wish I could say that I took this because I woke up to see the eclipse.  The reality is that I took this right after I arrived home from work.  I did not stay up to see the whole thing, but at least I could document part of the Winter Solstice Eclipse.

12/20/10 December Photo-A-Day

Back to reality.  I received a call from work as we were disembarking. This is my work clothes in front of my waiting to be unpacked suitcase.

12/19/10 December Photo-A-Day

This is Victor our fabulous but slightly slow waiter.  He was doing a balancing trick for the kids.

12/18/10 December Photo-A-Day

Mexico! I was so excited to eat Mexican food in Mexico.  My slightly grumpy daughter had other ideas.  She is her Aunt Kristen's niece for sure.

12/17/10 December Photo-A-Day

Day at Sea. I thought this was a fun self portrait.  Shawn, Aubs, and I are at the bottom of the window sitting by the pool.

12/16/10 December Photo-A-Day

Sail Away Drink Special! Yum.

12/15/10 December Photo-A-Day

All packed. We leave for the cruise tomorrow.

12/14/10 December Photo-A-Day

I have a tradition of wearing Holiday knee socks for my tap class.  I have quite the collection.  They will probably make their appearance in Project 365.  This year I picked up festive socks for my class.  It was so adorable, all the girls put them on.  My class this year is full of tween girls.  I switched to the level classes instead of adults.  I have learned in this class that people severely underestimate this age group.  They are some of the sweetest people I have ever met.

12/13/10 December Photo-A-Day

It was so windy today, I actually thought the fronds would blow off the palm tree.

12/12/10 December Photo-A-Day

Aubs' Nutcracker collection.

12/11/10 December Photo-A-Day

Finally.

12/10/10 December Photo-A-Day

Michael's Hat.

12/9/10 December Photo A Day

Christmas Tree Take 2.  Shawn had a server crash at work and didn't get home until Aubs' bedtime.

12/8/10 December Photo-A-Day

Tree decorating take one.  I managed to put the tree together but 3 days of 7-4 meant I actually fell asleep on the couch before decorating could commence.

12/7/10 December Photo-A-Day

It was freezing this day.  I had to go to dance class and needed shoes more substantial than my standard flip flops.  I didn't think my riding boots were appropriate and I will not wear my running shoes when it is cold outside because they are mesh.  I found my old sweater clogs in the closet and they were lovely and warm.

12/6/10 December Photo-A-Day

I take this picture every year. The first year we did this their heads barely came up past the first barre. I think when the girls graduate I will put them all together in an album. 

December Photo A Day 12/5/10

The decorations were stacked on the table with care, in hopes that they soon would be put up to share.

December Photo A Day 12/4/10

Butterbeer mustaches are awesome.  We had a wonderful Holiday Kick-off day at Universal.  We decided that lunch at The Three Broomsticks was a must. 

Santa!

Wait Time: 45 minutes
Forgetting batteries for the flash: Annoying
Getting a perfect shot anyway and benefiting Ronald McDonald House: Priceless (Our local mall lets you take photos with your own camera by making a donation to RMH.)

December Photo A Day 12/3/10

Annual Photo A Day photo of my anniversary flowers.

December Photo A Day 12/2/10

While waiting for Santa there is a story line playing in the background.  At some point they ask the kids to close their eyes and make a wish.

December Photo A Day 12/1/10

I have done this the past couple years and I actually wasn't going to participate this year.  Then, I read that Marie has challenged people to do the 365 project. That got me thinking.  I decided to add an extra month.  I am not going to commit to a whole year, last year's daily blogging seemed to have disappeared but I will commit to taking it day by day and seeing if I can come up with all the photos.   So here we are with my first photo of the December Photo A Day.  This has been my view for most of my day.  I am feeling a little sick and have spent the day sitting on my couch catching up on Glee.  At least my jammies are festive!

May I Have A Moment...

To brag?  I had a parent teacher conference with Aubs' teacher Mr. T. Yesterday.  Yes, that is what the kids call him and yes, I giggle a little every time Aubs' says his name.  For the record he does not have a mohawk or gold chains.  He had asked us to come in on the report card.  Aubs received straight As.  I am so proud of her.  Mr. T. also let us know that they have designated his class as the enrichment group. Aubs also had better scores on all of the early year testing than the rest of the class. He showed us her Dolch test from the beginning of the year a second grader at the beginning of the year. A second grader on the first day of school at level should be 170 out of 220, Aubs knew them all.  Mr. T. said that we may want to frame it.  She is doing very well this year and our main objective was to come up with a plan to keep her engaged.  I love that her teacher understands and is so willing to work with her.  She is obsessed with Show and Tell, so he came up with a plan for her to read Harry Potter and then give a presentation. She is super excited about this.  Thanks for letting me have a moment to be a proud mama.

Aubrey's Spooky Story

Haunted Fair

By Aubrey Barrieau

One stormy night the Haunted Fair opened. Real monsters would go there.  It's really spooky.Some kids thought that it was a regular fair.  They met Dracula. One kid said "Hey, I like your costume." Dracula said "Thanks!". Then they met Frankenstein and his wife. They were very nice. Mrs. Frankenstein said that they should go back home.  The kids said "Thanks for the tip.". Then they met the Wolfman. He was howling like crazy! He said "Spooky Halloween!". One kid said that they should go on a ride.  They went on a ferris wheel with some witches.  The witches started to fly off the ferris wheel.  They did a spell on the kids. When the ride was over they met Zombies.  A Zombie said "Stay back for dinner." and they did! The Zombies ate their brains.

12

Twelve years ago I awoke to a phone call.  The type of phone call no one wants to receive. That was when I found out that we had lost Patrick.  Goodness, twelve years later and the thought of that phone call still reduces me to tears.  I hope I never have to wake up that way again. 

The anniversary is a little different for me than for the rest of my CPM family.  I had just moved to Orlando and had been here for a little over a week.  The twelfth was my first day at my new job.  I debated whether or not to call in, but I figured that trying to explain the intricacies of my family and their very large network of non-blood relations and how while there was no blood link or papers listing Patrick as my family member, I knew in my heart it was as if I had lost my brother. So, I decided to put on my bravest face and start my new job in a toy store.  I am sure that Patrick would have wanted it that way, even though my employee ID card shows a red and puffy face. I still have it as a reminder of that day twelve years ago.  The reason this date holds such significance other than the obvious anniversary, is that the job I started at FAO Schwarz, was the day that lead me to my current Florida Family.  This is my network of non-blood relations, that have gotten me through my best days and my worst.  As I started my new job I met Carly, Shawn, and many others in my first weeks there.  As time went on I also met Jenny and Josh. It seems improbable that the day that changed my life would not only have a sad anniversary, but also one that brings me such joy.  If I had not gone in on that day, I may never have met Shawn.  How disappointed Patrick would have been with me. 

I know he was not ready to say goodbye to me.  He told me so as I wiped the tears away, from both of our eyes.  I am fortunate that I had a proper good bye.  Well, as proper a good bye as one can have while trying to console a seventeen year old boy, promising that we will see each other again. I told him that it may not be soon, and that it may be for longer than we could have imagined but I promised I would see him again.  If I had known what would happen about ten days later, would I have changed what I said?  The answer isn't that simple.  If I knew for sure that it brought him comfort in those last moments, I would.  If those words were what made him know it was okay to go, I don't think I would have been able to say them knowing that.  He has helped shape the person I am today and he will forever be in my heart.  I imagine him smiling the biggest as Aubs and Riley started their friendship, I know how it made Molly and I feel.

Life Lessons From Glee

Aubs absolutely loves Glee.  Like begging and throwing a tantrum because I won't let her watch it love. I don't think the show is appropriate for her, but she loves the music. I usually download my favorites from iTunes for her and we listen to them in the car.  If one of the musical numbers is especially fun I will let her watch that.  As we drive around listening to Glee, I have taken it upon myself to impart some wisdom to Aubs, some from Glee some from my musical background. Here they are:

-You should never be ashamed to sing at the top of your voice.
- Bursting into/always having a song for a situation is a Morgan family trait.  Helen calls it the Jukebox in our head.  I am just giving Aubs a better repertoire. 
- A good song can totally turn a bad mood into a better one.
- Jazz hands make everything even better.

First Day Back

I seem to have taken the summer off blogging. I have had a great summer with Aubs. I love the opportunities working retail has allowed me with Aubs during the summer. I get a few mornings a week, as well as my days off. Since my days off are not the weekend, we are able to do things that most locals avoid on weekends during the summers, since the crowds are less during the week.
Aubs starts second grade today. She seems pleased with her teacher, Shawn is ecstatic about her placement. He really hit it off with the teacher, I am sure it doesn't hurt that they share an Alma Mater. We think it is going to be a great year for her. She had a bit of a rough morning ,although I believe that can be attributed to the hourly wake ups last night. A: "Is it time for the first day of school yet?" Me: "No, four hours, go back to sleep." She starts school with four less teeth. Her little toothless grin has glimpses of 6 month old Aubs with only her bottom teeth. I know she is much older now, but she hasn't changed all that much.

Road Trip Redux

Giant Things:
Peach (GA)
Peanut (GA)
Olympic Torch (GA)
Stack of Chairs (TN/IN/or KY) It was getting late)

Lost Teeth: 1
If we are not careful it may be two. Aubs has a very loose tooth. She has lost so many lately she cannot use anything but her molars to eat as it is. When Cille saw Aubs' loose tooth, she excitedly asked "Is the tooth fairy coming to Newnan?" At that point it was questionable, but after some jumps on the love sac and Monkey Joe's the tooth came out at Red Robin.

Fairy Visits: 1

Miles: 1100+

Family History Mysteries solved: 1
We brought some pictures and things to show Cille. She and Shawn's grandfather share a family name. We thought it was strange but funny at first. Over time a few bits of info here and there have made us believe that it may be more than a coincidence. It looks like Cille's Grandmother was Shawn's Poppy's Aunt. She has asked that I put the whole thing down in writing so eventually I will write down everything. It is almost to crazy to believe. I always say that Lakeside is responsible for bringing my family together, I never dreamed that it would also reunite my husband with his long lost family.

Airports: 4 or 5
Our scariest experience though was coming up on Atlanta. The runway is at a point where the road turns but as you come up on the airport you can not tell. I thought the plane might be landing on top of my car.

Service Indicator Lights: 1
I hadn't realized the Camry has a light that turns on when you need an oil change. I have only had it for two months so I thought I had more time, but with all the road tripping we have been doing I guess I needed one sooner. Luckily I had time today to get it done.

I have enough time to get a bonus day in Ohio and a visit with Helen, Michael, Brian, and I finally get to meet Carter.

Muppets

Aubs is watching Muppets Take Manhattan. I loved this movie in a child. So much so that on my actual wedding day I walked around singing "Somebody's Getting Married". I have been such a bad blogger lately I thought I would share.

It Has Been A While

I have been a horrible blogger lately. I am finally feeling like, everything is caught back up.
I took the girl to SeaWorld today. I tell people down here that SeaWorld is my Disney. I worked at the Ohio park during my summers in college. I have truly excellent memories of my time there and it is excellent to share them with Aubs as we make our way through the park. Of course many things have changed since that time but there is just enough the same to share with her. It was busy out there today but we managed to get to everything we wanted to see, plus a few extras.

Aubs has been enjoying her straight A reward of a theme park a week. We have passes to SeaWorld and Universal, and have been giving them quite a work out so far. The Harry Potter section is so amazing that it will get a blog post all to itself once I get a chance to take out the good camera. I need to have someone to child swap with b/c I cannot take it on the ride.

My Smart Girl

Aubs has received the Principal's Award for straight A's (O's) this year. We also got her standardized test scores and she did amazingly well. She is at a 6.6 grade level for Comprehension, a 3.5 grade level for Math, and a 2.5 grade level for environment
(Social Science). I am so very proud of my little munchkin, I just wanted to brag a bit.

Frugal Shopping Attempt

Today I used my many coupon blogs and coupon binder and set out for some fantastic finds.

Here is what I ended up with:
CVS
2 boxes Extra Large Bandaids $4.49 ea with - $0.50 coupon x 2 $3.00 Extra care bucks off next purchase Final price $2.50 each
1 Lash Stiletto Mascara $8.49 Extra Care Card savings of $1.70 this unfortunately caused me to miss the ECB for $2.00
1 Lady Speedstick W/Stainguard* $2.99 $2.00 ECB
Green Bag Tag: $0.99 This will take $1 off every 4th purchase.
Total $19.51 with $5.00 off my next purchase.
Savings: 3.20
Walgreens
2 Zyrtec 30 caps $18.99ea 2-$4.00 coupons $10.00 Register Rewards.
2 Starbucks Frappuccinos 2/$5 2 $1.00 mfr coupons, 1 $1.00 store coupon.
1 snapple green tea (I was thirsty)
2 bottles Gillete body wash 4.49 1 BOGO coupon (4.49) 4.50 Register Rewards
Total:
40.96 with $14.50 off future purchase
Savings $21.47

Not Me Monday!

Not Me! Monday is a blog carnival created by MckMama. If you want to see what everyone else didn't do this week head on over. This was so much fun last week, I definitely didn't think I would do it again this week, but alas here I am.

I did not run out of windshield wiper fluid during love bug season. Even if I did do something like that it definitely wouldn't be the day after I mentioned to my husband, "The way I have been using this washer fluid I have a day's left at most".

If I did something like that I would not decide that my safety was more important than my pride and stick my arm out the door and spray the Windex I keep in the cab of the truck on the windshield before driving away.

If that had worked better than anything else I had ever used to rid my car of love bug guts, I would never consider going to buy a gallon of Windex and just filling the truck with that. Luckily my frugalista side won out there since we had two gallons of Rain-x bug remover in the garage.

Thank Goodness

That my week has gotten better. Monday was a bit of a rough start. I have gotten back on track with my healthy eating. I wasn't doing that bad food wise but those silly new flavors of Mountain Dew were really calling to me. So, I went back to cutting out the soda. Speaking of healthy eating, Shawn hit the 20lb mark for his weight loss. I am so proud of him. He has been working so hard to re-learn his eating habits and institute a work-out plan.

Not Me Monday!

Not Me! Monday is a blog carnival created by MckMama.I have never played along with MckMama
but this week, I had to. If you want to see what everyone else didn't do this week head on over.

I would most certainly not put the detergent in the washer, start it up, close the lid, and walk away.
If I did do something like that I would definitely discover it immediately not 1 hour later when I go to change the clothes to the dryer and notice that there is still a light load sitting in the pile. I was sure I had already washed them or at the very least imagined putting the detergent in the washer. I definitely did not open the washer to find only the Purex sheet in the bottom. Nope, not me!

My Evening

Can only be described as perfect.  After a rough start Aubs and I ended up having a lovely time.  We managed to hunt for blackberries, there are a few patches around the neighborhood, including our backyard.  We took a walk around the block that ended with Aubs running screaming through the rainstorm.  We played SuperMario Wii and had a picnic on the living room floor.  We finished the night off with chapters 1 & 2 of "The Magician's Nephew", the first of the Chronicles of Narnia. We discussed that Aubs will eventually read some of the book to me but for now I am doing the reading.  It reminds me of when she was small and had to curl up in my lap for stories.  Now she sits next to me with her head on my shoulder. We even managed to get her into bed 30 minutes early.

I Really Hope

That our new arena lives up to the hype.  This is a pretty big event to test things out with. I actually love the "old" arena. It is always clean and they handle large events quite well considering the venue is literally just off the expressway.  You would think the traffic would be much worse than it is.  Having grown up in Cleveland, AKA the home of venues used until they are nearly condemned, makes me very thankful that we have a nice venue in the first place. As long as you don't look at the ceiling during the event you would never know that our arena is a little older. I just hope they find a valuable use for our old arena since it is still a very nice building.
I am very excited for the new location, since we will finally have a big city arena.  Our current venue cannot hold the larger concert tours.  I have gone to Tampa more than once to see a band whose tour wouldn't fit in Orlando. The current arena only holds 17.5K people.  This would also explain why when I went to the San Antonio Arena, I thought I might pass out from the height.  Even the Skyboxes at the Orlando Arena, that run along the top, are not as high as we sat for the Spurs game.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: 4 Letter Words

Me: Where is my f'in soda? (I was running late and abbreviated the word so Aubs wouldn't hear me swear)

Aubs: What is an event soda?

Me: What?

Aubs: An event soda?

Me: That was mommy trying the wrong way to not use bad words so please don't repeat that.

Aubs: But I said event.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Geneology

Aubs: Mommy, am I from all over the world?

Me: No, you are from Florida. Your ancestors are from all over the world.

Aubs: What is an ancestor?

Me: They are your family members that lived before you. Some of them lived a very long time ago.

Aubs: What about my anbrothers?

Books

I just went through my goodreads list.  I have read at least 18 books so far this year.  Those are just the new books I have read, I didn't count the ones I have read before. Does anyone have any recommendations for me?  I just finished the Sookie Stackhouse series and can't wait for next Tuesday when the new one comes out.

March 25

This was my photo a day for 3/25/10.  I was wearing hearts to celebrate Carly and Robb.  They tied the knot in San Francisco.  I am so happy for them.  Aubs' two Godparents both married their longtime loves in March this year.  She is one lucky girl to have Jake and Carly in her life.

The alternate title for this photo is "How freakin' ridiculously difficult taking a self portrait with a 50mm lens can be."

Missions

I am on a mission to catch up on my posting.

Since it is going to rain today I am also on a mission to get some work in on Carter's blanket.  It is only 2 years late.

I was on a mission to make Sun Tea, but the clouds and impending rain have nixed that idea.

I have already completed the taking out of the trash and the cleaning out the bathroom drawer mission.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Frugality

Me: We need to pick up chicken at the store.

Aubs: I want pasta, you said we were having pasta.

Me: Yes, we are having pasta but chicken is on sale for a very good price so we should stock up.

Aubs: Oh, I see then we save money and paper.

Me: Money, yes, paper I am not really sure about.

Aubs: Well, they print money on paper so if we are saving money, we are not using the paper so we are saving paper and trees.

Another Open Letter

Dear Mall Patrons,
Yes, I drive a pick up truck. Yes, I understand I have no cover over the bed. No, that does not mean that my truck can be used as your garbage can.
Thank you.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Time Out Edition

Me: Aubs, you need to go to your room, lay on your bed, and chill out a bit.
Aubs:  AUUuuuuuhhh.

A Few Minutes Later:
Me: Aubs, are you ready to come out?
Aubs: No, I am still chilling.
Me: Did you just say you are still chilling?
Aubs: Yes.

This Explains A Lot

I just read this article on Orlando Sentinel.  It explains why even though I have been taking vitamins with extra iron, I look like I may have been punched in the eyes.  Also why the sneezes seem to be going around our house at an alarming rate.  At least I know they are not caused by oncoming colds.  I had better stock up on Zyrtec and Benadryl.  We keep both in the house because if one of us gets really bad the Benadryl is much faster.

Conversations with my 7 Year Old: Coin Toss

Aubs: Do you want to be Heads or Toes?
Me: Heads or Toes?
Aubs: Yes, or I guess you could say house.

Sunday

I am enjoying a rare second Sunday off in a row.  Working retail weekend days are hard enough to come by let alone two in a row.  Our plans are up in the air for right now, I am hoping for a trip to the bookstore and some Cold Stone. I will probably decorate for Easter/Spring since I haven't done that yet.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: Foliage Edition

We have had a bit of rain and everything is starting to grow again.  While we were walking in the door the other day Aubs had a couple of observations for me.

Aubrey: Mommy, Do you want to see my favorite weed? This one and this one.

Me: Did you just say weed?

Aubrey: Yes, Daddy calls them weeds but I call them flowers.

A Little Behind

I  missed a couple days.  Sunday, I just decided to hang out with the family. We all had some cuddle time on the couch and a family favorite for dinner.  Yesterday, I started my new position at work and had dance class.  By the time I came home I was so tired I went straight to bed.  It has been a great but tiring couple of days.  I have more training today so this week may be a little light as I take in all the information given to me.

Luck O' The Irish

On St. Patrick's day I interviewed for a promotion within the company where I work.  The next day I was notified that I received the promotion.   I am so very excited for this new adventure.  A while back I had set a goal of hoping to be considered for a promotion by March.  I never dreamed I would actually get it on my first try.

Technically 3/19/10

I am still awake so I have decided this post counts for 3/19.  My blog, my rules.  Tonight was Carly's Girl's Night Out.  We had an absolute blast.  The only thing missing was Jenny.  Tonight would have been perfect if she had been here. I will have another post later today (3/20).  I still seem to be operating on the very random half Florida half Hawaii time.  Hopefully I will right myself this week.

Tooth Fairy: Visit 2

Aubs finally lost her second bottom tooth.  It has been loose since the last one fell out but didn't seem to want to budge.  The Tooth Fairy visited last night.  Aubs was a bit upset this morning that she didn't leave a trail of sparkles or any other evidence.

Sleep

I slept for a wonderful 13 hours last night.  I feel quite rested and hope that should make up for the time difference.  I also took a nap before that.  Today I am a little keyed up this morning.  I have something going on this afternoon that I would ask for happy thoughts my way.  I can't really say what it is now, but hope to soon.  Well off to iron.  Here is another Hawaii picture, my and the kiddos feet.

Home Sweet Home

I arrived back home this morning. Shawn and I went to the mall and just spent a little time together before going and springing Aubs from school a little early.  It has been a nice afternoon.  I unpacked my suitcase into the laundry and have already washed both loads.  I have also had a bit of a nap, and will be heading back to sleep soon.  Here is a picture of the sunset my last night.

One Goal Down And One Missed Day

I missed blogging yesterday.  We spent the day going to church and then on a driving tour of the Island.  We were in the car for about 6 hours not including stops. I am not going to let that discourage me though, I hope to still hit a total of 365 for the year, I already have a few extra posts.  I got some amazing pictures and was able to attain my goal of wearing a bikini on the beach. We went to Lanikai.  It was beautiful.  I didn't swim the water was a bit cold.  This was the first vacation in a long time that I didn't need to buy extra clothing or dig out all my winter wear.  Even Ohio in the summer can be a bit cold for me.

Dear Jake,

Today is your wedding day.  I cannot believe you were the chubby little guy that use to fall asleep in my arms.  I am so amazed at the man you have become.  I know you will be an amazing husband to Jamie. I am so excited for the two of you to start your lives together, even if it is starting on opposite sides of the country.  She seems like the perfect addition to the family.
Aubrey loves you so much, I couldn't have picked a better Godfather for her. To watch her face when she talks about you, is amazing. We all love you so much and are excited to welcome Jamie into the family.

Love always and forever,
Missy

Finally Arrived/Why Am I Awake?

It is about 4:40 local time.  I cannot seem to sleep anymore today.  I am hoping at some point I may nap in the car.  Either that or ingest a ton of Starbucks.  There is actually one around the corner from here, I can walk. 
I had started writing a minute to minute update of my day yesterday, travelling cross country can be interesting.  Then my whole day went to hell as I was stuck in the Denver airport for 4 hours.  That meant I missed my connection to Hawaii out of San Francisco. They moved me to another plane and luckily the plane they moved me to became my connecting flight, otherwise I would have missed another flight. I finally made it around 9:30 PM local time.  By the time I finally went to bed I had been up for 23 hours, with only a 20 minute nap on the plane.
On the upside I got to see two great movies on the planes.  Up In The Air was on the first flight and The Blind Side was on the second.  The Blind Side was an amazing movie.  I think the entire plane was watching. My plan B yesterday had been to possible see Jenny last night if I got stuck.  I actually ended up so sad because that didn't work out and I miss her.  Hopefully soon I will be able to make it to San Francisco, it looks like a fun city.

On My Way

I have packed, unpacked, and repacked my computer/camera bag and rolling suitcase at least three times.  I have given myself a tropical pedicure. I have bought the perfect dress and bikini for a vacation on the beach.  I have counted down the days, hours, and minutes until it was time to go.  I am leaving for my first vacation in seven years without my baby in tow and I already miss her.  I am convinced I will feel like I am forgetting something for the entire run through four airports tomorrow. I am excited though because as much as I will miss my baby, I will have my mama there with me.  I will have three of her four sisters, and my cousin Gwenn.  It will be a Girl's weekend of epic proportions. I have been pretty homesick for family lately and I will have family in a big way starting tomorrow night.  I can't freakin' wait.

TOMORROW!

I leave for Hawaii in the morning.  I cannot believe it is already here.  I have covered everything I needed to do.  I have done next week's work laundry and even had time to back up my photos.  I will try to keep up with my daily posting while I am gone. I do realize that even though I set the goal, sometimes you have to adjust. I have recently realized how goal setting can really effect my day to day.  As if I wasn't wound up enough today, I found out I may be much closer to one of my goals than I thought. I will share more when I can, but please send happy thoughts my way. Today was an amazing day for me, and I just hope that the next days will continue on this path.

Change Of Plans

I am nixing my run today. I woke up with my allergies acting up.  It is really hard to run when you can barely breathe. Because of my SVT I cannot take something to clear up my head quickly and then run. Cold medicine is usually okay by itself but if I also run or excercise I usually end up with my heart beating at 200 BPM. Not fun. So this morning I will be resting.

2 Days. GAH!!!

I leave for Hawaii in two days.  I am off to bed early tonight.  I managed to get through my to do list but have come up with a few things to cram in before Thursday. My next two days looks something like this:
Tuesday:
Wake-Up (Well rested I hope)
 Run, I am hoping for 3 miles. The weather should be perfect for an outdoor run.
Get ready for work.
Leave early enough to drop the water bill off and possibly a stop at Walmart or Target for travel size items.
Work from 4 to 11:30
 Sleep

Wednesday:
Wake up at 7
Work 9:30 to 5
Come home and start the night before a trip flight of the bumblebee.
Check in for flight.
Laundry, I want to wash all my work clothes so I don't have to worry about it when I get home.
Pack computer/camera bag.
Double/triple check suitcase.
Shower, dry and flat iron hair so that the iron is cool enough to travel in AM.
Hopefully I will get to bed sometime before midnight. We are leaving for the airport at around 6 am Thursday.

Conversations With My 7 Year Old: TV edition

Aubs: Can you Tivo the "________" on Disney/Nickelodeon?
Me: We will see.
Aubs: It is on at 10/9 Central.
Me And Shawn: Both make the face that if we look at eachother again we will both start laughing.

Praying

This is Aubs praying for her baby cousins.  Will you join her?  Micah is struggling a bit and has been moved to a more specialized hospital. He has been intubated. Zechariah is still at the hospital where he was born.  Their mama is looking into getting Zechariah transferred as well since it can be stressful on twins to be separated. Please pray for the boys, Bob, and Jodi.  Can you also pray for my Mom and Dad? They went through their baby being transferred 32 + years ago, I imagine watching your child go through a situation where you felt helpless yourselves can be pretty stressful. They won't ask for it for themselves but they could really use lifted up.

Coupon Queen

Today I had to go and get laundry detergent or I couldn't finish my to do list.  I had BOGO coupons for Purex Laundry detergent.  Walgreens had them on sale also BOGO so you could get 3 bottles for the price of one.  Of course when I went they were sold out.  I found some other good deals and only spent about $40 at the three stores I visited this morning.  I thought I would list it out if anyone else is interested in trying this.

Walgreens
1 Schick Women's Quattro $8.99 Plus $3.00 Register Reward (off next purchase) Plus $4 off coupon. Final Price $1.99
2 Purex 3-1 sheets $4.50 each Plus $1.00 RR plus BOGO coupon Final Price $3.50 for 2
Total $9.49 plus $4 off next purchase Final price $5.49 Total Savings $15.48

Walmart
2 Purex liquid detergent $5 each plus BOGO Coupon
Total $5 Total Savings $5

Publix (I bought a few other things here too)
2 Zephyr Hills 3 liter bottles $1 each Normally $1.29
2 Jars Bertolli Pasta Sauce $ 2.69 each BOGO plus $0.60/1 (2) coupon Final Price $1.49/2
2 Boxes Publix brand Pasta $1.15 each
2 Chobani Greek Yogurt $1.20 each
2 Birds Eye Steamfresh Veggies  $2.39 each plus 50% off plus $0.35/1 (2) coupon Final Price $1.68/2
1 Fructis Shampoo $2.89 sale price $0.60 off regular price plus $1 off coupon Final Price $1.89
1 package sirloin tip steaks on sale for $3.49lb Final Price $3.22
1 Danimals smoothies $2.00 sale price $0.49 off regular price plus $1 coupon Final Price $1
2 Quaker True Delights $2.99 each BOGO plus $0.75 off each (2) Final Price $1.49/2
1 Maple Grove Farms balsamic vinaigrette $2.49
2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Variety Pack $2.99 Each BOGO plus $0.75/2 coupon Final Price $2.24 Each
2 Quaker Chewy Granola Bars 90 calorie Oatmeal Raisin $2.99 Each BOGO plus $0.75/2 coupon Final Price $2.24 Each
2 boxes Quaker Instant Oatmeal $3.99 each BOGO plus $1 off/1 (2) Final Price $1.99/2
My total was $26.43 with a savings of $29.30

I suspect we will not need to buy breakfast food or laundry detergent for a few weeks at least.

Welcome To The World

Bob and Jodi welcomed twin boys to the world this morning. Congratulations guys.  We love you and miss you all.

Counting Blessings

Yesterday I was a little whiny in my post.  I am going a different direction today.

I am sitting here drinking my New Orleans Chicory coffee.  (This stuff is delicious) I was thinking about how it came to be that I love this coffee and how bad things can turn into some of your most amazing blessings. I read a blog post a while back about how you should be thankful for things that your just may not feel thankful about.

When I started my dance class a few years ago there was another dance Mom starting back to tap.  She had taken as a small girl but hadn't put her tap shoes on in years. She is now a part of our Florida Family.  Dawn and her family moved here after Hurricane Katrina. They had lived in New Orleans before the storm. I know that the storm was terrible and the things that happened were atrocious, but I am thankful.

I haven't spoken to my brother in 2 years and 5 months. I miss him terribly and just want to hear his voice.  Today he and his wife Jodi will welcome their twins into the world. I am fully prepared that I may never see these babies except in pictures.  I hope that is not the case, I love being an Auntie. Even though I may never meet them and the situation makes me sad, I am thankful.  My brother will become a Daddy today, that is something he has wanted for as long as I can remember. Babies Morgan your Aunt Missy loves you and hopes to see you someday.

Overwhelmed

I spent most of yesterday feeling clumsy and overwhelmed.  Everything I tried to do on my list took three times as long as it should have.  I started feeling like I would never get everything done and make it to the airport next week.  Yes, I realize it is over a week away. I kept focusing on the only having one other day off before I left.  Finally this morning I was able to think while driving into work.  (1 hr 20 mins because of weather) I realized I didn't have to get it all done in one day.  I could take little pieces and finish them over the next few days.  I also realized I don't start until 4 pm on three of these days so that will open up a lot of time for stuff to get done.

Just in case the blogging, Bible reading, and everything else isn't enough, I also decided to participate in a Photo-A-Day for March.  I am posting these on Facebook, if I get desparate I may use one over here as a daily post.  I also decided to stretch my Bible deadline to my Birthday.

Epic To Do List

I leave for Hawaii in 10 days (9 if you don't count today) I need to count today though because the to dos are numerous. Tomorrow if enough progress is made on the list I will downgrade the number of days to only include through next Wednesday.  I leave so early on Thursday it doesn't count. I am going to be packing today because my only other day off between now and then is Friday and I want to have time for any errands that pop up.

- Pack suitcase I need to add chargers and possibly pick up a slightly larger suitcase.
- Practice pack carry-on (I have 4 books to take, a camera, laptop, and ipod some of which I will need between now and then. Wednesday
- Mail ebay items
- Make Carmen's Pineapple Dessert, this should help put me in the Hawaii mindframe.
- Read (I need to remember to take time for relaxing)
- Couponing, I finally found a site that takes some of the work out for me. I still need to cut and sort though. 2/28 to 3/6
- Edit photos Friday
- Wash Laundry (Monday Finished Tuesday)
- Dry and Fold Laundry (Tuesday)
- Clean Kitchen
- Clean family room Friday
- Clean my room
- Iron work uniforms (1 Monday, 2 Tuesday)
- Dance Class
- Lay out Aubs clothes 3/2 to 3/5 Aubs did her own for 3/2 and 3/3
- Wash laundry (Friday)
- Dry and fold laundry (Friday)
- Iron work uniforms (Friday)
- Lay our Aubs clothes 3/8 to 3/12
- Confirm delivery of eBay items
- Go through donation bags and see if board shorts are in there Not there.  GRRRR.
- Run 3 times Wednesday 1.8 miles
- Couponing week 3/8 to 3/13

On a side note I am sitting in a pair of jeans that used to be my favorite before Aubs was born.  I haven't worn them since, they used to be able to be buttoned but I could not sit in them.  Yay!