mad world

As a full-time mom and part-time control freak - I've always liked chaperoning school field trips.  It's a lot of fun (mostly) and there've only been a handful of trips we've missed over the girls' years in school.

By we, of course, I mean myself and the besterest husband ever created.  Fourth grade and teenage boys tend to have a problem listening to a woman shorter than them; so I'm glad the G. man is so awesome.

Over the last week I've been having a hard time wrapping my head around something that rocked our tiny town of 5,500.  Two boys that we've 'watched over' in the past, were responsible for taking someone's life.
There was no accident .. it wasn't something that ''just happened.''
They planned, plotted, and repeatedly shot the boyfriend of one of their ''moms.''
To top it all off - this ''mom'' helped them get rid of the evidence.

The man they killed was a guy we worked with in the past, the brother of an acquaintance, as well as a 'friend of friends.'  I guess in this town it's impossible to not ''know'' someone, which makes something like this even harder to accept.

With life in our tiny town, I don't mean to, but I get complacent.
I start to think stuff like this only happens in the city.

But then along comes a reality bitchslap like this to remind us what a mad world we live in.

I've been locking my doors at night for the first time in years .. :(

don't forget to be awesome ..

I'm most definitely classified as a fan of awesome.
I guess anyone prefers awesome to mediocre, so that ^^ is a redundant statement.
I can also admit that maybe ... just maybe I use the A word a little too much.
It's o.k. if you're judging me as you read this ...
I'm awesome enough to forgive your judgmental ways ;)

some of my favorite awesome things ..

my awesome family & friends
awesome books I refuse to can't put down.
awesome food from my awesome husband
awesome weather with more sunshine than pollen
awesome 27 lb. kitty foot warmers
awesome squirrels worth stalking from my kitchen window
awesome orbee eating ladybugs
                          and
awesome lego girls on awesome cork boats ... ?

Ok. I'll admit the last four sound a little weird when I read them back. 
LoL, but in my opinion - they're made of awesome and I brought pictures as proof!

This is our cross-eyed ''little'' kitty
despite being the youngest - he's the biggest kitty we own
I would hope he's the biggest, considering he is 27 pounds

he's been deemed 'the world's best foot warmer'

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After her feet were sufficiently toasty she wanted to make mini cork sailboats.
[ corks, hot glue, foam craft sheets (for sail), & skewers ]
I didn't drink all that wine, I promise we ordered the corks from Etsy ;)

 Nobody is ever going to be able to convince me that this little lego lady
and her awesome one-piece swimming suit weren't made for this corkboat :)

---

For Christmas, she got a remote control ladybug that eats orbeez
Nugget is NOT a fan.
LoL he kept very slowly 'chasing' it down the hall

---

this is my new buddy - 'squirrel'
he comes to 'say hi' after I feed the finches

he stands off 'in the distance' .. staring .. waiting for me to go inside
only then will he come down his 'hill' to feast on seeds / nuts

---

So, in honor of the 'word of the day' - I made an awesome print. ;)
(in case I have to hold your hand and draw a picture for you - the word is awesome.)

 click here for the full-size Printable version of "Don't forget to be AWESOME."

I put it into a frame on our fire place and I just LOVE IT :)

So, don't forget to be awesome AND even more importantly, I think - don't forget to recognize the awesome that surrounds you.  It's everywhere !! :)

from a desk to an entire room ..

At the beginning of November - we moved into a new house.
Although it was an unexpected move that completely threw us off and beat us up.. it turned out for the best; so I'll just leave it at that. :)

As we unloaded box after box - I kept looking at the husband saying "I don't know how we ever fit into that tiny trailer."

I remember being super stoked about the 'craft area' we made for me exactly a year ago.  I'd never had my own 'area' before for crafts, whole crafts, and nothing but the crafts .. so it was very exciting for me.

... now imagine the excitement about having an ENTIRE ROOM.

Our new home is so big, we had a 'leftover' den area that was donated to my need for crafts.

It's even got this built in desk with a pencil sharpener (look close on the left)

there's more cabinets than I know what to do with, a sky light and shag carpet. 

It pretty much rules. :)

Just in time for winter .. the best time to craft, because you can't be in the sunshine.

105 days until the first day of spring.

it could always be worse .... scary

I don't want to call Forrest Gump's mama a liar, so let's just say she was confused

life is NOT at all like a box of chocolates

unless she meant life would leave me feeling bitten in 1/2, chewed up & spit out 

if that was her intention - she was spot on.

More times than I can count, we'll be plugging along one day, just fine and WHAM!

something scary or painful or both comes along and stinks up our happy place.

where I come from, our chocolate doesn't kick you in the face

as hard as it may be, I keep remembering .. 

21 is the number ...

quitting smoking can suck it.
lol, I say that because I may or may not have had a few cigarettes since my last post.

I have a stupid high amount of stress going on in my life, right now and don't have time for your judgment, dammit! >_<

21 was the date in September as well as the number of days I made it before I started stopping quitting smoking ....

LOL ? what ? :P

.. I've had a handful of cigarettes in a week - I don't feel all too bad after 21 years of several cigarettes a day.

chocolate cake and orbit gum ...

On the 31st of August I turned 35.
I had the realization I've been smoking cigarettes on & off for 20+ years

So, in my new mature 'old age' - I decided to quit
... just QUIT all together.
COLD TURKEY

No patches, nicorette gums or acupuncture .. I just stopped.

The first few days I had leftover birthday cake to sustain me through tough times
these days, it's a lot of orbit's curiously strong 'pure' gum

It's been 19 days and I don't want to kill anyone .. yet.

here's to another 19 ... :)

... ps - I have a small pack of nicorette hiding in my bedroom in case I have a meltdown.

winter is a four letter word ...

I reserve the word hate for a select few things.

winter is high on my list of stuff that's H bomb worthy.

it's cold .. it's gloomy .. your fingers are frozen .. your nose is runny
Ew.

winter is just plain gross

 

'waaaayyyy too cold' North Dakota was home for years.  I've seen enough blizzards, six foot snow drifts and forty below zero to last me and my kids a lifetime
Ew.

.. my point .. 

these days - we avoid winter at ALL COSTS

we're so dead serious about that - we moved to the desert.

lol .. that's us - we're hardcore. *flex*

our friends in Denver & Salt Lake have been getting inches on top of inches of snow
... our condolences ... 

the sunshine spent all morning beating against the red rocks
we went at noon ant it was still radiating warmth

In the sunshine, it peaked in the mid 60's ...in FEBRUARY !! :)

  

it was SOOOO gorgeous, I almost felt guilty .. 

pfftt .. I kid I kid.

no guilt here .. just pure sunshine appreciation.

the four legged friends agree .. sunshine <3

when we started it was a little 'brisk' and we all kept our jackets on ...

but within 20 minutes, the jackets were off

double frown .. double hug

In general, I'm a shiny happy person.  :)
I love to laugh, make fun out of boring situations, and be a goofball at all times.
That's why it felt so foreign to find myself in a severe state of frown several times, today.

my bestest four legged friend of 5 months - senor Nugget - had to spend the night at the vet because he was having his nuggets removed. :(  we haven't spent a night without him, since he came barreling into our lives! >_<

I also have an old friend that I keep up with through facebook.  This morning he announced his pregnant girlfriend went secretly to sign papers & the baby is to be placed for adoption. He's devastated, as expected.

Then there's my good friend, who I've worked with for a couple years. She lives just down the street and our kids have all been friends for years.  She lost custody of both her 14 yr old son and 16 yr old daughter.   I feel crushed for them, all.

I have been through a lot in life.
And by a lot, I mean 87% of all things you could possibly imagine .. I've had to deal with.

I can't imagine not having my girls with me.
so, tonight - I gave them 2 hugs & 2 kisses & told them twice I love them to the moon and back


I wish I could mend my friends' broken hearts .. I can't imagine the desperation they're feeling right now.

lighting a candle, sending prayers, and happy thoughts.
if someone reads this .. I hope you do the same; send prayers and double hug your loved ones.