40 Reasons I Love Freefi!

1. Amy is a great listener!

2. She lived in Hawaii, so I'm pretty sure we could go visit on the cheap.  :)

3. She is a wonderful mother to her 2 kidlets.

4. She is selfless... almost to a fault.

5. Amy is an amazing artist, but she'd never say so.

6. She inspires me to be better.

7. Amy puts up with my nonsense.

8. She loves Pride & Prejudice, too!

9. She allows me to live vicariously if she has anything fun to report.

10. She returns the favor, and savors all the juicy details if I have anything fun to report.

11. She doesn't judge me.

12. She loves her family.

13. She forgives sincerely.

14. She works hard.

15. She plays with her kids. Even when her everything hurts and she's running on no sleep.

16. Amy is finally starting to take time for herself now and then.

17. She made me read Twilight even though I didn't want to (and then I loved it... until the movies came out).

18. She'll meet me for a late movie when we just need to get away for a minute!

19. She laughs with me about the craziness in our lives.

20. She plays Your Team, My Team with me.

21. She introduced me to the joy of Strawberry Days and the rodeo.

22. She reminded me to claim Team-members quickly when there are cowboys involved.

23. She got me to see past the "voodoo medicine" stigma surrounding essential oils. "There's probably an oil for that."

24. She likes to see comic book and action movies, too.

25. Amy likes talking in accents.

26. She's been known to talk in a British accent for a whole day at a time.

27. She is a beautiful and strong woman.

28. She has a rebellious side, too.

29. Amy loves music and sings beautifully.

30. Amy has fictional boyfriends, too. 

(You can have Adam Levine on your team! But only because it's your birthday!)

31. She laughs at my constant, obnoxious, snide commentaries.

32. Amy smiles through her pain.

33. Amy hugs like she means it.

34. She pushes through every obstacle that gets thrown at her with grace and confidence.

35. She teaches me how much I still have to learn, just by being around her.

36. Amy is a wonderful example of what kind of woman I want to be when I grow up.

37. Amy makes hilarious snarky comments, too!

38. Amy serves others selflessly.

39. Her humility and humor add to her beauty and charm.

40. Amy is a true friend. I only hope that I can be such a friend to her.

Love you, Ames! I hope you had a wonderful birthday! And may the next 40 years be filled to the brim with love, laughter, and more blissful happiness than you've ever experienced. You deserve every happiness life has to offer!

Growing pains?

Lately, Hannah has been getting injured way more than normal. Earlier today, she was enumerating her many injuries and illnesses so far this year, and there have been quite a few.

Yesterday, she got another. Some boys stopped by to prank her by showing up with trash bags on their heads. I'm still unclear about what that accomplished, but they seemed impressed with themselves. As she was dismissing them and closing the door, something happened. And since I didn't see it, I'm not a useful witness. She's not sure whether one of the boys pushed the door closed or whether the wind did it, but it slammed her fingers in the door. She came crying and I saw that her fingers just below the bottom of the nail were going to be bruised. What we didn't see until I told her to go wash off her hands so we could bandage it all properly (though unnecessarily... we thought), was that the underside of her middle finger was really hurt. I have to assume it got pinched against the metal bit in the door frame. At any rate, it was cut but looked otherwise okay.

We cleaned and bandaged the wound, applied Mommy Kisses - a requirement for proper healing, and then prepared a bag of ice. I got her comfy on the couch and turned on some tv to distract her from reality. I even brought out Mr. Snugglebug to help ward off the pain. A few minutes later, she came in looking like this:

She told me that she needed Jesus, so she went ahead and got Him. I just LOVE her!

Hannah Hates Cats

I came home from class on Monday and Hannah showed me her newest drawing:

Then she showed me why she felt that way:

I think I hate her friend's cat, too!

No furry spawn of Satan gets to hurt my baby!!

Growing Up

Is it bad to tell your child to quit growing up? Because I do that all the time.

Hannah is 10 now, and it's creeping me out. At the same time, I am completely thrilled at watching her grow and mature and become a young lady. I just wish it weren't happening so fast...

I missed the actual date by a few weeks, but here are TEN things I LOVE about my little girl:

1. She is HILARIOUS without trying!
2. She is inherently spiritual and wants to be good.
3. She makes me want to be better.
4. She is wise beyond her years.
5. She is a much better child than I ever deserved, but the Lord new I couldn't have survived with anyone less wonderful!
6. She still believes in Santa and I LOVE it!
7. She loves to snuggle up and watch NCIS and Castle with me.
8. She knows that Santa and Jesus are best friends - so they can work out any gifting conundrums.
9. She writes me letters and love notes! (sample to be posted soon)
10. She's the bright spot in my every day.

46 Reasons I Love My Roomie!

1. Karen is chronically optimistic.
2. Karen has raised 6 amazing and beautiful kids!
3. She has a beautiful little granddaughter now (which seems impossible)!
4. Karen has been a great example that it is possible to truly forgive and let go.
5. Karen has the most beautiful eyes and her smile can light up a room.
6. She thinks I'm funny (albeit inappropriate and borderline crazy).
7. She teaches her girls to take care of themselves and to take the time to look good before they go out.
8. She knows how to pull the "take away" -- in life and in dating!
9. She has a rock-solid testimony despite the hurdles life has thrown at her.
10. Karen knows the importance of balance in life... and works hard to juggle her responsibilities accordingly.
11. Karen has a way of making everyone around her feel loved, appreciated, and important.
12. Karen is getting in touch with her inner nerd... and it's awesome!
13. She knows how to take a compliment without sounding arrogant.
14. She is determined to better herself and her situation.
15. She is willing to work hard for what she wants.
16. She wants others to feel success and happiness, too! So she takes the time to help others along her way.
17. She is easily amused!
18. She can watch movies over and over again... "Meet the Robinson's" anyone?
19. She is a spectacular pre-screener!
20. She lets me be a pre-screener, too!
21. She constantly says funny stuff without realizing it: "My yahoo is stuck." "Did you lock the door on the door?"
22. She knows how to laugh at herself.
23. She knows how to laugh at other people, too. Time for another Dee's Dance...?
24. She puts up with my awkwardness... even when I interrupt and finish her sentences. I'm working on it -- I promise! I can't help it if I'm a super guesser.
25. She is kind and loving to Hannah.
26. She has been a great example of how to be a better parent... especially as Hannah gets closer to becoming a dreaded "teen-year-old."
27. She welcomed me and Hannah into her home 2 years ago, and has always made us feel welcome. Without her kindness, we would probably be homeless right now.
28. She reminds me of how nice it can be to work together.
29. She has a big heart, with room to love everyone around her.
30. She knows how to block out the noise of children without getting as irritated as I used to.
31. She is patient.
32. She taught me that "we will make it work."
33. She lets me vent without feeling like a burden. And even more importantly, without feeling judged.
34. She knows how to have fun.
35. She likes going to the movies, too!
36. She helped me realize how delicious sushi can be!
37. She taught me how to be gracious when I feel pulled in every direction.
38. She shows me again and again that being a mother can be difficult and trying and exhausting and rewarding all at the same time.
39. She showed me that sacrificing your own needs and wants for your child(ren) only makes you love them more.
40. She reminded me that there's still hope for finding a good man out there!
41. She helped me to realize that I don't want to give up on dating entirely... at least not just yet.
42. She taught me that sometimes you have to treat yourself a little in order to keep giving yourself to your kids. (Thanks, again, for introducing me to Wendy! I think we need to call her again...)
43. She showed me that sometimes a Diet Coke and a donut is just what the doctor ordered.
44. She reminded me that a night out with girlfriends can cure a lot of problems!
45. Karen knows how to say "NO" when she really can't do something.
46. I feel a hurricane a-comin'!

Thanks, Karen, for being such a wonderful person and a terrific friend! Who knew that two months at Altiris would turn into this? I can't tell you how much you've blessed my life!

Much loves and hugs to you on your birthday. And always!

Home Sweet Home

I LOVE our new house!!!! It's still a rental, but it's FANTASTIC! It's the kind of place that I could settle into and be happy here for YEARS!

And with a huge family room downstairs, I might start hosting regular movie nights again. Woohoo!

Change is good

Hi All... In breaking news, I'm not dead. In fact, I'm feeling better lately than I have in a long time thanks to a really good therapist and some low-dose medication. Yay for modern medicine! I missed my brain...

In other news, I'm starting a new job soon. My last day at the State Bar will be Thursday, December 23.

My new job will be MUCH closer to home, as it is less than 10 minutes away rather than 35 minutes on a good day. The biggest benefit is that I will be able to spend more quality-time with my adorable Hannah-Bug. I plan on volunteering in her class more often, and getting home at a reasonable time will be a major blessing.

So here's to a new year and new opportunities!