Here are some pics from Halloween and our costumes. I was a 20's gangster, Tony was some creepy clown guy/thing, Mom was a Mexican Bandito, Hailey was a kitty and Aiden was Buzz Lightyear. Lots of fun! 
I had taken the wig off at this point at my party, it was making my head itchy!
Hailey found my wig a couple days later and put it on and came out of my room looking this cute. I couldn't help but take a picture! 
Every night I always have to have a fresh glass of water by my bed. I hate having to get up in the night to get a drink of water. I usually have a little cup, usually a kid's cup, but last night I grabbed a larger cup. I had it on the bookshelf right next to my bed. It was safely (or so I thought) away from the edge. Well, come 4:14 a.m. I must have stretched or done something of the sort because all of a sudden the cup of water comes splashing down on me. Now I'm not talking about just a little bit, I'm talking about full on soaking. My hair was dripping wet, pillows soaked, and sheets drenched. Who knew a cup of water could do so much damage?? So of course I had to get up (the whole point of having the cup in the first place, to avoid getting up) to change clothes, pillow cases and dry off. As soon as it happened I just started laughing. It was so silly I just couldn't handle it so I laughed. Needless to say, I won't be keeping anymore cups full of water near my bed, I don't care how thirsty I get in the middle of the night!
So I can't help myself. I love unbaked goodies. Cookie dough, brownie batter, cake batter, etc. I hate it and always have when my mom would make something and promise I could lick the beaters or bowl and then scrape the bowl so clean you hardly got a taste. Grrr, it made me so mad!! Tonight I was craving cake batter so naturally I decided to make a German chocolate cake, but for the mix. Of course because there are witnesses I have to actually bake some of it, but no one has to know that I just "licked" (or rather scooped) up about 1/4 of the batter. Mmmmmm.... sometimes I just love life!
I love zippers. I love the way it makes that zzzzzzzzzz sound. It reminds me of sleeping bags and tents on early camping mornings when mom would wake up first thing to get the hot cocoa going and start on breakfast.
It reminds me of fall and school. Getting books in and out of backpacks. That in turn reminds me of all of the fun I had walking to school my sophomore year in high school with Virginia. (You remember how it was Ginger!!) As well as those mornings in college when everyone was getting ready for class at the same time, and when Jena would very quietly zip up her backpack at 6 am trying not to wake me up.
Zippers remind me of kids getting all bundled up in their snow suits and parkas to go out and play in the snow and sipping hot chocolate afterwards.
It's silly I know, even more so because I'm blogging about it, but last night I took my jacket off and I heard the zipper and it made me happy just thinking how much I love the sound. That's life though, isn't it? Finding things, even little things, that make us happy.
So I'm just here telling the whole world (okay, I know the WHOLE world doesn't see this, but I mean my world) that I LOVE zippers and nobody can stop me.
Last night I had another crazy dream (not as crazy as the Lady Gaga one, but much nicer!) I dreamt that it was my birthday and my family got me this three wheeler motorcycle (it looked like a motorcycle with training weeks but who cares because it was pink) and we had a big party and Anthony was the lead singer in the band that was playing at the party (I mean seriously, who knew Anthony could sing?) and then, I met this really good looking guy named Pierce (who sorta looked like Mr. Brosnen himself only younger) and he helped me find my grandmother's grave when I got lost driving to the cemetery after the party to visit grandma. What a dream, right! It was so silly but actually pretty fun. Now I want to get a pink motorcycle and then maybe dreamy (ha, that pun was totally intended) Pierce will find me....
Kids always say the darnedest things, don't they? At least that's what "they" say. Who's "they" by the way???
Anyway, on to my point. I love kids and their antics. I get to experience lots of funny things. Here are a few of my favorites...
One of my favorite kid stories was when I was getting two children ready for their physicals. While I was measuring their height, the first boy (we'll call him Jimmy) was about 4 or 5 years old and I told him he was 37 inches tall. His brother, about 8 years old, was 43 3/4 inches tall. As I told him how tall he was, little Jimmy got very upset, he told me he wanted three quarters too. He thought he was getting jipped.
We had a little girl in the office who was there for her check-up. She was very concerned about having to get a shot. I assured her she wasn't getting a shot, but she was still wary. After doing everything I needed to do I left the room. I went to the next room down the hall to give another child some vaccines. Right after giving the shots and the baby is screaming, I hear at the top of her lungs the girl yelling "THEY KILL PEOPLE IN HERE, LET'S GO!" Of course mom was mortified and we all got a good laugh. Yes, indeed that is what I do for a living. I kill people :)(that was a joke, I don't really kill people...)
I have so many more stories, but suddenly I can't think of any.... maybe I'll remember soon.
I know it sounds terrible but for the most part I'm so used to giving shots I don't really think another thing of it. However, there are some times when I feel terrible. I once had a little 15 month old baby who before I gave his shots came right up to me, gave me a hug and snuggled his little head into my neck. It broke my heart to give him his shots. Another time, I had a little kindergartner who so dreamily told me how pretty I was. Oh Jeez!! But a job's got to be done. If it weren't for their own good, I don't know if I could do it. The worst thing is when a Mom cries. I feel terrible. Like I just hurt her baby.
At the end of the day whether it's good or bad, funny stories or sad stories, parents yelling and screaming or sending "thank-you" notes, I love my job. People ask sometimes why I don't go on to nursing school, the reason is this. Most nurses end up in hospitals because very few offices can afford a R.N. these days, and I love being able to do what I do. I love that I work in a small office that I get to know many of the patients well. I love it when they come in and not only do I know them, they know me. It makes me happy.
I always thought I was allergic to Cool Ranch Dorritos because it made my nose itch like crazy. Well today I learned that I've either never really been allergic or I've grown out of it because I just ate my weight in the Doritos without any itching whatsoever. It's too bad I'm not allergic because at least I might have some self-control! However, as I'm writing this now, I'm becoming quite itchy.... shoot! Oh well. What can you do?
Anyway, I ate them with our homemade salsa and it was so yummy!
So I heard this song the other day and really liked it. Life's always got it's ups and downs, always, but it's nice to know that it's going to be okay one way or another.
These are the lyrics to "I'm Alive" by Kenny Chesney and Dave Matthews. If you get a chance to listen to it, I'd recommend it. I like their voices, particularly Dave Matthews. His voice reminds me of my high school years and all of the painful high school woe's of a teenager, so hearing this song with him singing it makes me happy.
So damn easy to say that life’s so hard
Everybody’s got their share of battle scars
As for me I’d like to thank my lucky stars that
I’m alive, and well
It’d be easy to add up all the pain
And all the dreams you sat and watched go up in flames
Dwell on the wreckage as it smolders in the rain
But not me, I’m alive
And today you know that’s good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessin' can’t you see
Today's the first day of the rest of my life
And I’m alive, and well
I’m alive, and well
Stars are dancin’ on the water here tonight
It’s good for the soul, when there’s not a soul in sight
But this boat has caught its wind and brought me back to life
Now I’m alive, and well
And today you know that’s good enough for me
Breathin' in and out's a blessing can’t you see
Today is the first day of the rest of my life
Now I’m alive, and well
Yeah I’m alive, and well
In case anyone is concerned about me and my welfare regarding the mouse, no need to worry any longer. Last night, I was lying in bed reading a book and all of a sudden I hear scuttle, scuttle, scuttle, SNAP!! I shot out of bed and ran to find my dad. Thankfully he was able to get the trap and relieve it of it's catch for me. I was so happy, I could sleep peacefully after that. Though I did feel a little bad for the mouse.
So if you don't know me very well you might not know that I can be a titch on the dramatic side (okay, even if you don't know me you'd probably be able to figure that one out yourself...) and that I'm a scholechipobe (fear of worms.) Well this has nothing to do with worms but about me being dramatic. Last night I was walking through my room and about a foot away from me all of a sudden something dark and about the size of a large quarter (maybe the size of a 50 cent piece, hard to know for sure, I didn't get a chance to pull out a measuring tape) zoomed past me and straight under my bed. When I say zoom I mean zoom. I don't think I've every seen anything move so fast. Because it moved so quickly I couldn't tell for sure what it might be but I knew that a few weeks ago we killed a little mouse in our house (just call me Dr. Seuss if you will) so I proceeded to question those around me about how fast mice may or may not move. Well, it turns out they can move very quickly. By the way I screamed like a maniac when he ran past me. Anyway, as I learn this information standing halfway down the stairs of our house, I start jumping around and sobbing. My dad set a trap in my room to try to lure him out from under my bed, but had no luck then. So the whole point of this story is that I never thought of myself as a squirmy kind of girl (well except for worms as noted above) but it turns out I am and it all stems from my dramatic personality! Now I have to run across the room and jump about two feet to my bed and land on it just in case he runs out from under my bed until we catch him.... or her I suppose. It made making my bed this morning quite tricky :) Here's hoping that we will catch the mouse and be able to move on with life!!!
Okay, I have a billion things to be blogged about but kept putting it off, but now I'm catching up. So beware, lots of posts coming your way!
So I realize everyone thinks that their kids, or nieces/nephews or pets, etc. are the cutest, but my niece and nephew really are pretty cute. Take a look at their latest pics! 
It's another hot concert summer for me. I went to a lot this summer. Trace Adkins and Toby Keith came together. It was such a great concert. The girl next to us won backstage passes and front row seats just before the concert started. I was so jealous! Toby is on my "list...." He's so dreamy!! P.s. My mom loves Trace, I thought she was going to explode when he came on the stage.... so funny! P.S.S. Take note of the 10th picture, someone walked in front of my camera as I took the picture but the way it turned out it looks like a ghost... kinda creepy I tell ya!
The Darius Rucker (the lead sing to Hootie and the Blow Fish gone country) concert was AMAZING! We were only 10 rows from the stage and he is such a fantastic performer. I cried a couple of times. I had been having a sort of crummy day, I just felt a little like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, and didn't really want to go. My dinner was super gross (it tasted like I was eating a campfire log) but the waiter was so cute that I didn't want to be a pain, so I didn't mention it. So by the time we finally got there, I was just ready to go home. But once he started singing, it was like just what I needed to hear. It sounds absolutely cheesy and corny but I loved it. If you ever get a chance to see him, I recommend it with all my heart!
Every summer, everyone at work and their families, go to a local baseball team (the Owlz) game per Dr.Wise's treat! It's always such a blast. This year I took Anthony with me as my "date." Such All-American fun... oh and lots of hot dogs. I learned this summer that hot dogs with mustard only is the most delicious even though I've always been so adamant that ketchup only was the way to go. Boy was I wrong and I'm humble enough to admit it!! 
Mom and I have been quite the Betty homemakers lately. We're not usually the homey kinda gals... I never thought I had it in me to do it. We had tons of tomatoes is our garden and decided to make salsa. It was so spicy that while we were cooking it we had to cover our faces so we could breath! It was so much fun! 
~~~~~~~~~~
The next weekend we went to the Farmer's market and bought peaches and strawberries and raspberries. We made lots and lots of freezer jam! Halfway through the freezer jam making process we found out we had a leak in the pipes under the sink.... that put a "damp"er on things. He,he,he,he! But we still had fun. 
I love peanut butter. I love it creamy and smooth as well as the crunchy kind. My whole life I've loved peanut butter (now to be addressed as PB.) For awhile I didn't eat it much because I thought it was bad for you, granted it's not great but it's loaded with good fats and lots of protein. Perfect on a slice of bread before heading to the gym. I also love when you first open a jar and the top is all smooth and untouched.... I LOVE to be the first one to mess it up. It thrills me! However, my love for it is hampered by the fact that as you get farther down in the jar you are on the road of not reaching the bottom quarter of the jar. Today I was trying to spread some on my toast and my utensil was not long enough so I had my entire hand shoved into the jar to get to the PB. There is still a good amount left in the bottom, but I can hardly reach it. So after I finally got the PB on my utensil I pulled my hand out of the jar and it's naturally covered in PB. Now I have to lick my hands off, then wash them and I still smell like PB all day long. Can somebody please invent a way to fix this problem??? I know my friend's husband (Ben...the husband of Jena) was on to something a while ago but I haven't heard anything since. I will forever and always love it but I'd like to not have these problems with it. I thought about just purchasing a smaller jar but that is not as thrifty as a big jar. I hope this message reaches the makers of PB and they'll think of a clever way to create the jars to more appease my demands.
So in case you haven't noticed, I get really ancy when it comes to my blog backgrounds. After several weeks, I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't change it, so bear with me folks!
I don't know if you've ever had this Jolly Time Mallow Magic popcorn but it'll get ya! Today I got home from a long day at work with a hankering for a little snack. Wanted something sweet, something salty.... and suddenly I find myself face to face with this popcorn. Hmmmm.... I think this will do. So I pop the pop corn and of course have to put it into a big bowl to spread the Mallow Cream all over the popped corn. There was nobody there to stop me and I ate it all!!!! Well, minus the unpopped kernels and those I even sucked all the creamy goodness off of! I'm so terrible. Now I'm stuffed as a turkey and have a bad tummy ache. If I gone to the gym with my friend (who was almost very convincing... but I was grumpy) maybe I'd have not consumed so much junk. Oh well. At least it wasn't an entire bag of Oreo's this time :)
Yesterday I was craving a soft pretzel. The only place near my work that has them is at Target's(trust me, I've called around)food court. So yesterday I went there by myself and ordered my pretzel and sat in the middle of the seating area packed with mothers and screaming kids and ate my food and read a book. There is something about sitting all alone and reading that really makes me happy. It's liberating (not as much as skinny-dipping but that's a whole other story!!) I like to think all of those moms were jealous... it's a ridiculous concept but I'd like to think they were rather than thinking I'm super weird to come all the way to Target to eat a pretzel and a Slurpee. The moral of my story is lost on me. I can't even remember why I thought I'd share it but here it is. Take if for what it's worth....
Oh and I have some pictures and posts of the Trace Atkins and Toby Keith concert. I just have to get off my lazy caboose and download the pictures and videos. So soon to come more exciting posts and pictures!!
So I just woke up and thought I'd share my weird dream. So in my dream I was next door neighbors to Lady Gaga (eccentric new pop star) and I didn't know her real name and I was so worried because I didn't want to call her Lady Gaga because often famous people want to be as normal as possible so I didn't know what to do, so I started calling her Christine.
I wonder what her real name is. I doubt we'd ever be neighbors but if we ever were, I should probably find out what her name is. Or maybe the moral if the dream is that I should meet my neighbors and learn their names. My dream is telling me to be social. Hmmmm.... I'd rather eat cookie dough.
So today I went shopping, mostly to find something for my dad's birthday coming up. I found somethings for him but I also bought some things for myself. Naturally. I bought another pair of shoes, another purse and two jackets. Last week I spent $100 dollars on jewelry. I'm running low on my savings because I keep shopping. But it makes me happy, at least I feel happier. I need to find another hobby because this one is getting to be expensive. Anyone have any suggestions? I don't know what I like to do and what my hobbies are. When anyone asks me this, I try to change the subject because I don't know the answer. So I shop. I'm on a quest to find myself and need to do somethings different. So if you have any suggestions of things I could do to make me feel happier other than shopping you're comments would be very much appreciated!
I've seen a couple friends do this and I thought it was quite entertaining.
1992
1988
1986
1984
1980
1976
1974
1966
