Sadie's Birthday

I didn't want to put these cute photos in my not so cute post from 2 weeks ago! Instead, they will suffice to be their own post -- for Sadie's birthday!

She is such a fun girl! She likes to be the family clown, sometimes, as you can see here! I guess she was really "getting into" her cake! LOL

Sadie shares a birthday with my dad, so we always try to do things to make them both feel special. On their actual birthday, Jorge and I and my sister took my parents out to eat. Then, the Sunday after that, we had Sadie's party, with the kind of cake that she requested.

I made this for her, to hang on her wall in her bedroom. She is a liitle bit of a freak about monkies -- she collects them! She has so many that they COVER the queen size bed, in her room, at my parents' house! That's a LOT of monkey business!! LOL

Anyway, that is why there is a monkey in the middle of her name! And, note the bling on the flower --she is a girly-girl! And that is okay with us! Love you, Sadie!

Where the Heck???

Where has this month gone?? It has flown by . . . and now March is at the door! The rent, the electric bill, these are things that help me remember what day it is . . . sad, I know!

I got some therapy time in this past weekend! Yay! Michelle and I scrapped at a local scrapbook store, just to get out and into it, ya know? It was a fun change -- it has been a LONG time since we have stepped out to scrapbook. Ah, memories!

Then I scrapped with 2 of my nieces on Saturday, for a couple of hours, too. Good therapy time! Then Sunday night, we worked on a puzzle -- I had forgotten how therapeutic that can be, too! My nephew, Chase, was so funny. Every time he found a piece that fit in with the section he was working on, he would exclaim "SWEET!!!" And, thanks to movie previews and television advertising, I would respond, (only in my head!) with "DUDE!" Just talking about that makes me laugh all over again!

T G I F

Ya, so this has been a shorter week than usual, but that hasn't kept it from being just as full of headaches! Work is SUCH a 4 letter word . . . and sometimes I wish I could just change the scenery, for a little variety, you know??
I am blessed to have a job -- it's true! But I have no passion for my occupation, so I am just "workin' in the coal mines" LOL
A friend of mine said to me this week, "why can't you just do scrapbooking and creative projects for a living?" That IS the question of the year! So, that is what I am on the lookout for -- an opportunity to be creative and problem-solving and . . . less chained to my desk!

Humble Pie -- lengthy entry alert!!

So, this past weekend, the day AFTER Valentine's day, to be exact, Jorge came home for the weekend. A friend of his, and her daughters, was coming to Phoenix for an ACN convention, so he drove down with them.
My understanding, before they arrived, was that he was coming down with them, but wasn't planning on attending the convention, and would have LOTS of time to spend with me. Well, that proved to be a MISunderstanding, on my part! (And, originally, we had planned to go to CAlifornia for the 3 days, but didn't have the spending capital to do so!)
So, Friday, when they arrived, Jorge and all 3 ladies went to the convention. It was free on Friday, so he went to enjoy it without paying anything. And, in my mind, he was going to show her how to get to the coliseum.
Then, Saturday morning, he drove her --AGAIN--to the coliseum. This was difficult for me to understand, as the coliseum is RIGHT off of the 10, and it is basically a straight shot on the freeway! But, then to make things more interesting, we had to later take her daughters over there, to meet her, after they got up, showered, ate breakfast, etc. (In case you haven't been keeping up, that's 2 trips to Phoenix, so far!)
I wondered, out loud, why we didn't drive 2 cars, at that point, to leave hers with her, so that she could return, at her leisure, when the convention was done for the day. Nobody else seemed to think that was a good idea . . . still baffling to me, as to why! So, when the convention was finished, at 6 pm, Jorge made trip #3 to Phoenix . . . and then proceeded to get lost, after he picked them up! (a nice way to drive home his point that she didn't want to get lost!!)
By the time they arrived back at my house, I was BEYOND annoyed, because we had plans to go to my co-worker's daughter's birthday party, and we were going to arrive very late! Add getting lost in Chandler to the mix, and we arrived, at the party at 8:45 pm!!!
Overall, not a good day for spending quality alone time with the husband! So, I thought, we would spend some time together on Sunday, while they were at the convention! (I need to add, here, that nobody seemed to be communicating OUT LOUD the plans for any of these days -- I don't know, maybe they aren't planners, they just fly by the seat of their pants! But, if you are going to impose on others, I think that one should be a little more considerate of their plans, time, etc. That could be just me, though!!)
So Sunday morning rolls around and first and foremost, I am awakened by Jorge at 7 am -- He's the only one up, even though the convention starts and 9 am, and they are planning to leave for Vegas, in the afternoon. I kiss him good morning, then go back to bed, for what was supposed to be an hour! My alarm doesn't go off, however, and I wake up again, at 8:57 am! (My ward starts at 9 am!!!!)
So, I slap on some clothes (thank goodness I had showered the night before!!) and stumble out the door, half asleep. Jorge was a little put out that I didn't say "good Morning" to our guest, as I was hurrying to put my shoes on -- I didn't realize she was talking to me! Then, I vaguely remember her saying, to him, as I am walking out the door ". . . I will save the $7 is parking . . ."
An hour and a half later, I return to the house, after attending only Sacrament Meeting, to find that Jorge has driven her to Phoenix AGAIN! Give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, when he got back to the house, I asked him what the travel plans were. He said that he would be picking her up from the coliseum and they would be leaving directly from there. This woman is BRILLIANT!! She gets to spend the morning doing what she came here to do, and my husband gets to spend the morning/day doing what SHE wants him to -- Chauffering, AND packing up the car! Wow, what a lucky guy!
At that point, all my impatience BOILED over!!!!!!!!! I wanted to know when we were supposed to spend time together and do the things that WE wanted to do! And, I wanted to know how one woman could be so dependent on someone else -- to be her age (50+) and not be more independent -- Aggravation, I tell ya!!
Needless to say, a "discussion" ensued! Lots of crying on my part, and lots of "don't cry!"s on his! (It didn't help matters, AT ALL, that this past weekend was apparently my emotional day times 3!!!) Anyway, we arrived at this: Jorge will be back soon, for good and he will not be leaving, for any extended period of time, again! YAY!!
So, we said good-bye at our front door, and I watched him drive away. I then got busy working on Sadie's birthday gift, as we had planned for dinner at my parents' house at 5:30pm. I was almost done with it, when I got a phone call from Jorge. They had made it to Wickenburg, when she had realized that she left her purse at the coliseum, on a bench somewhere.
So, he wanted to know if I would drive over there and look for it! I was aggravated all over again -- but then, as I was driving over to Phoenix, felt very badly for feeling aggravation at this latest development. Regardless of how she had monopolized Jorge's time over the weekend, or my perception, of that, at least, I was almost positive that she had NOT planned to leave her purse, much less to aggravate me!
So I put my selfish thoughts aside and drove over to the coliseum, hoping, for her, that it would be where she left it, and that she would NOT have to go through all the hassle of cancelling her cards, getting a new drivers' license, and all of the headaches that come with losing one's purse or wallet! (I had to go through all of that myself, a year and a half ago! I really would NOT wish that on anyone!!)
After taking a hike around the entire coliseum (I was receiving instructions from Jorge, who was receiving instructions from her -- there's that "telephone" game again!! LOL) and hearing from security that "No, a purse had not been turned in!", I was walking away with bad news! Then, almost as an after thought, I looked over at a bench that I had not seen before -- it was kind of hidden behind a pillar, and a tree. And VOILA! There were her purse and her sweater, just where she left them!
The "humble pie" part comes from the thoughts that ensued after the fact -- to be able to give service to one of my Heavenly Father's children, a service that cost me nothing and helped me to realize how much this small act really did help her -- that was very humbling! And to know that even though the weekend didn't go the way that I wanted, AT ALL, I did contribute to her enjoying her weekend, and that should count for something!

I just hate it when . . . .

-- The morning-made, meticulous hairdo, that you left the house with, quickly becomes a "hair don't"!

-- Your jeans, while they fit fine in the morning, get looser as the day goes on, and keeping them in place becomes more of a challenge as the day goes on!

-- Your footwear that seemed perfect for your outfit is killing your feet by noon, and you wish you could slip on a pair of flip flops! (Beth, since you almost always wear flip flops, you are probably just pointing and laughing at me right now! LOL)

-- You put the banana peel from breakfast in the wastebasket in your office, just to get it off of the desk; then when you come back from lunch, your whole office reeks of banana!

-- You drop food on your shirt, at lunch, and you get to smell said food for the rest of the day!(and pray that nobody else can smell it!!

-- That "tiny spill" on your desk backfires later as you try to seperate wet paperwork!

-- The heating/cooling unit in your office has its seasons mixed up -- it runs hot when it's hot outside, and runs cold when it is cold outside!

-- The candle on the candle warmer, in your office, doesn't have a scent anymore!

-- The clock sticks on 1:45 pm for what seems like days, and yet the hours between clock out and next clock in fly by at the speed of light!!!

These are things that, at the very least, bug me, sometimes, about working life!

Ya, if this were a blues song it would be called "Working girl's blues". I'm sure that all y'all could come up with a GREAT list of "stay at home mom's blues" too!!

Don't ya just LOVE love?*

Ah, February, the month of LOVE! Ironically, back in my single and hatin' it days, Valentine's day was referred to as "Single Awareness Day" and finding anything to do, besides focusing on LOVE, relationships, etc. was the priority!
Now, in my wedded bliss, it's not so bad! ;)
I made Jorge this card, and sent it off in the mail, so he'll have it on 2/14! He is coming home for the weekend, but won't be here until 2/15, so I wanted him to have something to remind him that he is LOVED!

We had a card/Valentine's bag making party at Karalee's house on Sunday night. Actually, for me, it started out as scrapping time, while dinner was in the oven, and ended up being a party for a few of us! I finished the "Winter Wonder" page, that I had started in December, and started on Jorge's card.

Scrapbooking is such needed therapy for me! Since I have made it a part of my life again, the last month, I truly feel the benefits of having that therapeutic escape. And, those photos are no longer just sitting in my camera, waiting to be printed!
The "3" page is my niece, Olivia's, birthday. When I showed her those pages, she LOVED them! So, I am starting an 8 x 8 album for her and her family to share, of pages that I have made of them. They will LOVE it!


*can you name the movie that I took my title from???

I LOVE Fudge!!!

Yesterday I was at Scrapbooks ETC, a little shop just around the corner from scrapper's heaven. I saw this quote there, that I can TOTALLY relate to!

It says "Family is like fudge - really sweet, and full of nuts!" A truer saying has not been written! And, I've got the photo to prove it . . . ha ha ha!

Seriously, though, I love these kids! They obviously have a good time together, and as you may be able to tell by looking at this photo, they LOVE to pose for photos!

I know that this world would be a lot colder place without my family. And not quite so entertaining, either. And, thankfully, we can all be together forever, if we make that goal and stick to it! Anyway, I just wanted to say "I love my fudgey family!" There is never a dull moment at our family gatherings! (Or a quiet moment, either! LOL)

Life's a dance . . . .

you learn as you go!! If ever those words were true, to me, that would be RIGHT NOW!!

My darling husband, Jorge, usually has a fit when he feels that I am sharing too much information (aka "TMI") with my friends, family, coworkers, etc. But you have to understand that HIS version of TMI is lightyears away from mine! His version is, "don't tell people where you're having lunch, and when!" and mine is "Don't talk about sexual intimacy or personal political/religious opinions".

Well, for the second time in as many weeks, my sharing of information has BACKFIRED in my face, and I may have to change a whole bunch of things in my life, because of an adult version of the jr. high game "Telephone".

Ya, it's been helluva weekend . . . nothing like the relaxation and rest that one truly deserves after a week in the ratrace! But, maybe I will learn from this experience, THIS TIME, and find a happy medium between his definition and mine!

On that "happy" note, I hope that everyone has a better week than my weekend has been! All this and Jorge is still "out of town"! :(