Made - Had - Am.

Mmmm. Sippin on a strawberry lemonade slushee, homemade thank you very much.
The batch with a dash of tequila in it is gone.
This one tastes almost as good.
O is sitting on the floor beside me, reading a story about Jesus to herself while brushing her hair with my hair pick.
I am stealing a few quiet minutes while DH naps before work, the dishwasher finishes it's cycle and the laundry is laundering.

Yesterday was Sunday. I slept in. Anxiety comes full force when I do this. I feel like I have missed out on "early" time to get things done when the house is quiet and I am "alone". Silly, really I wish I could just sleep in and enjoy it. I knew my body needed it so I indulged. Wish my mind was on the same page as my body. Once I got into some sort of routine for the day I started to feel more normal. I spent some real time with my step-son which was for me a great learning and practicing experience. Such a talented young man. Struggles like any other teenager, I am glad to be my age today, but has some unique ones as well. I pray for him. We talked about the journey of faith and I tried to share gently the importance of finding for ourselves what fits for us. Really coming into owning what we believe because it is our free choice to do so. Someday perhaps he will feel comfortable with his choices and they will be like gold to him instead of holding fear as they do today.

With a list of 999,999 things to do (just shy of a million) - business things, household things, personal things, mommy things, etc.etc.etc.- I chucked it all and gave myself permission to just do what came natural to me. I ended up cooking things most of the afternoon and it was glorious!


I made:

Strawberry pretzel salad  - recipe here
Porkchops - plain and simple, pan fried and cooked in the broth for about an hour.
Golden wedge potatoes - amounts depend on the size of your glass baking dish and how many you want to make. I generally use a potato per person. Peel and slice potatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Lay them in the baking dish half on top of the one before it, usually 3 rows is all I can get out of a 9x13 dish. Cover with melted butter, enough to wet them well. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the tops of the potatoes and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the taters are tender. Delish!
Carrots and peas - nothing to wow you here
Homemade croutons - 6 slices of bread (I used gluten free) cut into small squares, enough melted butter or olive oil to coat the pieces well, 1 tbsp ea. of garlic powder, dill, parsley flakes and a dash of salt. Could also add parmigiana cheese. Spread out on parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes - toss and turn over and bake another 15 min. Let cool and then keep in an airtight container.

I continued into today. . .
Salsa - always ends up with whatever I have around for veggies, pulsed in the food processor, added with a good amount of salt. A dash of cumin also adds marvelous flavor!
Chicken Taquitos - recipe here - I only added the juice from the salsa to my chicken and I used Cacique Mexican cheese instead. I also fried them, shame on me.
Strawberry lemonade slushees - 1 cup lemon juice (6-7 lemons), 2-3 cups water or ice, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups of strawberries. Mix lemon juice and sugar in the blender. Add strawberries and mix. Add ice and tequila if you so desire, blend on highest setting to crush the ice.
A green salad with tons of yummies in it - no need to splain this one
Mexican Rice - 2 cloves of pressed garlic , 1/2 onion chopped small, chicken broth, small can of tomato sauce. Brown on medium heat the garlic, onion and rice. Once a nice golden brown, cover the rice with enough chicken broth that it floats really well. Pour the can of tomato sauce in, in a circular pattern. DO NOT stir this together (not sure why but every Mexican I know says this). Cover and simmer on low heat for 10- 15 min. Check to make sure the rice is plumping up and has plenty of broth left to soak up. You may need to add a little more broth - I have made this so many times, but have no idea how much I actually use). Keep it covered to cook for another 5 - 10 minutes or until plump and the broth is all soaked up. Salt to taste
Guacamole - just mashed it up, added a dash of lime juice and salt.
Mmmm Mmmmm good!



I had:

Two near death experiences this week -

 with customer service that is. 

Customer service is just about dead these days! 

One was at my least favorite but much needed store these days. 

Price matching. 

No ads needed, so they say. 

So said the clerk as he was checking the ads on a few prices I quoted.

 WTH! 

At least 10 people behind me in line by this point, 

because of course I put all my price matching items at the end of my stuff 

so I have time to actually get organized and spout out the prices from my notebook 

(that I ever-so-carefully write in the price and what store). 

The line kept growing. 

One item I must have written down the incorrect store, 

because when he asked me to find it in the ad I couldn't. 

Coulda been that I was so flustered by this point and my blood pressure was beginning to boil! 

I gave him an earful about him just having told me that we DIDN'T need the ads 

but that he was checking my prices? 

WTH? 

They were not outlandish prices, nor do I look like a person who is trying to get a $5 something for $0.01! That sounds so judgmental of me, truly I don't mean it that way at all. 

The last item he checked me on I, again, could not find it in the meat section of the ad 

but I distinctly remembered seeing these pork chops for $0.99 a pound. 

Of course when I got home, I checked my ad and sure as @#%t! 

they were advertised on the back page, not in the meat section.

 I was more than angry, and had I enough calmness, 

I would have returned to the store with my ad to prove that little punk wrong. 

I think what angered me most was his complete lack of respect, 

behaving as if I was some sort of thief with my "ad prices".

 It was in the way he spoke to me and displayed the ads with an attitude 

for me to then find the items for him. 

At one point he remarked that his manager was right over there if I wanted to speak with her. 

Had there not been the 10 -15 people in line behind me, 

who were hissing and huffing by now, 

and if I could have caught my breath 

I just might have spoken to that there manager. 

You can bet that next week 

I will have my ads ready to go if they pull that again. 

Or perhaps, I might just choose to forget about this crappy store all together!

I am:

Currently hearing something that sounds like water dripping. Can't figure out where it is coming from.

Waiting for laundry to finish so I can put the last load in the dryer and head.to.bed!

Filled with greatness and gratitude for time with friends and family this weekend - and not too mention, a few extra hours with my DH!

Committed to prayer on some pretty important things.

Becoming more intentional to be more conscious in my life. Sounds funny. It isn't.

Soooo grateful for the presence of God in my life, in my business and in my family.

Sad for some things going on with some people I love dearly. Praying, I am.

Hoping to be done with some thank you cards soon, have been workin on them for almost a week. Yikes.

Having mixed feelings about some "me" time tomorrow - 2 hours. Excited, anxious, expecting. Pray, I will.

Pretty proud of myself.

In love with my Mary Kay skin care and Lash Love mascara! You rock Char!

Soooooooooooooooooooooo wanting to garden. Cilantro seeds haven't sprouted yet . . . been a few days.

Not sure if I am made for gardening - did I kill the cilantro already?

Seeing this beautiful image of Jesus blessing his disciples before he Ascended (our church calendar), I feel peace. That's a great image to fall asleep with!

Good Night.

The Tornado My Daughter Can Be

Seriously, you get me if you have kids in your home.
One of a lot of things are around my living room and house this evening.
My DH is currently searching for the match to his favorite pair of shoes that the "tornado" was trying to walk in      
    earlier today.
She is obsessed with our shoes.
Anything on our bathroom counter.
The magic toilet paper spinner.
Our silverware.
ANYTHING.
It is cute.
Most of the time.
Not when either of us big people are in a rush and need the pair of something that she has moved one of
     them to truly only our God in Heaven knows where. Oh vey.

Snuggle time has been abundant lately. She is in a total "lovey" stage - kissing, hugging, snuggling just about anything. Yes, even daddy's smelly shoes. She loves on us too. It is beyond sweet. Her teeth continue to come in like popcorn. Two side ones on the top level are busting through. Low grade fever and crankiness prove it. So do the extra snuggles and attention she wants. I am soaking it up. There have been a few times already in her growing independence that she chooses not to be snuggly or lovey-dovey and I know those will only increase in amount as the years come quickly. So, I'm soaking up what I can for today and I LOVE it. I love her. Some days still can't believe how she came to be but then again the heart of God is a mystery in my faith and that is where I believe she came straight from.

My dog STINKS! whew. Just came by to see what crumbs might lay beneath my feet, of which he found none but he generously left his scent. PEW. Even had a bath yesterday. Spends 98.2% of his time outside, sunbathing and his sweat(?) reeks after that!

So - with life happening, business growing, marriage growing, motherhood transforming me, home-making transforming me . . . I am quite happy about some things.

• I will be doing a charity Haircutting event for Paz de Cristo in July to help with their hydration for the homeless drive. I felt the nudge to be open to such an event and the details are falling into place without much effort on my part. Thank you God - it'll be whatever You desire it to be.
• I am really enjoying my meal planning. Stop laughing. I do tend to be a bit type-A personality but I also feel gifted with organization, planning and leadership roles. The last few years have not lent themselves to much of this for me, various reasons why, too boring to get into. It feels super good to be utilizing these parts of me once again. I am trying recipes I wouldn't have tried before and I am enjoying the art of cooking which I haven't much enjoyed in the past. I am no Giada de Laurentiis by any means, but I'm feeling good 'bout what's happenin in my kitchen.

These yummies were our kabobs for dinner tonight. I want to research possible marinades for veggies on the kabobs so they don't end up burnt like some may or may not have tonight.

• My creative-ness is coming back. Haven't felt it for a w.h.i.l.e. It feels good. Dad mentioned that he hung a prayer board for my sister K while they are in Omaha visiting. Instantly my mind went berserk (in a good way) and there O and I were at Hobby Lobby. I searched a little for items and came home to put her down for a nap. Cleared off the kitchen table and prayed. Came up with this - have't done a bulletin board in years since teaching.

• I feel hungry. Not literally at all - "stuffed" if you catch my drift. Still working on that. No, not constipated! Hungry for learning, growth. In my parenting, in my spiritual life and in a combination of both. Have found a few great resources lately and look forward to movement in these areas. My knees look a little to clean and smooth these days, they need to be used in prayer more. Starting a committed prayer for DH, for O and for myself. I am convicted in all 3 relationships of the great need/sacrifice of prayer and perspective. Oh good Lord, assist me. I am lazy. But. I want my daughter to know YOU, I want to know YOU more deeply. I want my marriage to deepen in YOU.
• I took a step toward something I have been talking about for about a year now. Gardening. Not sure why excuses have kept coming up. I bought a starter kit. Literally a starter. Cilantro. I love it. Is there a patron saint of gardening? I remember someone giving me a houseplant when I was pregnant and being so stinkin worried about it and the fact that I have never been able to keep a living plant alive in my house, how was I going to keep a tiny human alive? It has all worked out. Perhaps now I have a leg to stand on and look that fear of plants right in the face. Cilantro - here I come. 

Ending on a few funny notes . . . 

Driving on Gilbert Road and noticed a new restaurant, 

"Boombozz" Taphouse. 

I almost burst out laughing and with disgust at the same time. 

I think I heard that term used in a derogatory way when I was younger 

when someone was referring to a woman's . . . set of . . . you know whats.  

I don't like the name.

O has been practicing eating with toothpicks. 

Thanks Neighbor Jess! 

She works hard to "stab" her food items 

and is oh so proud when they end up in her mouth on the toothpick. 

O and I share a love of jewelry. 

Apparently a love of Starbucks as well. 

This is from the coffee I got for free today. 

As I was heading toward the drive through, 

a red Toyota Camry came around the corner 

and went right in front of me. 

I didn't feel cut off necessarily.

I noticed a child in the carseat on the rear seat 

and figured she needed a pick-me-up as much as I did. 

When I got to the window to pay, the employee told me 

that the woman felt terrible for cutting me off 

and so paid for my drink. 

Sooo sweet. 

The coffee tasted even better due to her generosity.

Catchin up.

Sitting here at almost 9:15 pm. waiting for my gf pizza and salad to be delivered.
Paid the extra $2 for delivery cuz I am 2tired to go get it my damn self.
Hubby and child are sound asleep and I got home from work just a teeny bit ago.
One of those days where I was so into my work (enjoying it), timing was just about perfect with each person but I didn't have a chance to eat or sit down for more than 2 minutes.
Grateful for a full day of work and super clients.
One in particular is a single mom, an uh.may.zing. woman.
I know for a fact she has no idea how amazing she really is.
One of the most beautiful, generous and faithful people I know.

Mmmm.. . 

pizza, salad with homemade croutons and a tall frosty sangria soda.

 Nummy nummy, as my daughter says. 

I think I have a balance disorder.
I keep trying to find balance in my life but it's not working.
Perhaps I am working to hard to achieve it.
I know relaxation and refueling are two things I don't do well.
I'm sure some people in this world take care of those things first.
That would make sense.

Anger.
Me?
Well, the woman who let her sonS pee from inside the pool area, right on to the basket ball courts the other day didn't make me happy.
AND, the fact that a nurse made a mistake and gave our daughter one of her immunizations a few months early, didn't make me smile.
Finding out that the roses I had drying outside are no longer there makes me sad (d--n dog).
I've been pondering anger lately.
Not this silly kind of anger.
Real, righteous anger.
Didn't think I had any in me.
Heard a speaker recently talk about how women are generally "stuffers", emotionally that is.
I know it's a generalization and I usually am not a fan of those.
This one got me thinkin though
It's hard to love when you are angry.
Let me take that back.
It's hard to love when I am angry.
At this point I am not sure what I am angry about but I feel it.
I have been irritable and grouchy for a little while (that I'll admit too, ha ha).
I can't change what I am not conscious of, so I'm taking this one to prayer.
It's been a long 38 years . . . if something's stuck in there it's time to move it out.

So, it's been a while again since I sat down and had some one on one time with this keyboard. . .

There have been bracelets to wear

A yummy chicken and broccoli casserole to make

A visit with grandmemere (great grandmother)

Tiny statues of Jesus to carry around and kiss

A new splash pad to play at

A baseball cap to be worn
(without a smile though, she wasn't too happy that momma disturbed her for a picture)

And, how could I forget . . . on Mother's Day we went
to our local cemetery to honor my Mother-in-law who passed a way years ago. 

Life is full.

Life is not perfect.

Life is moving ahead.

Life is a gift, in all forms.

Uh. May. Zing.

Rotelli Pesto and Chicken from Picazzo's, gf pasta
The art of getting out of bed some mornings
Having my hair cut and colored
Lemon cookies from Paradise Bakery that are gf
The mother-daughter relationship at 15 months old
The rate at which diapers are changed in one single day
Being self-employed in a career that I soooo enjoy
Aside from "accomplishments", what some people live through in a day and come out still "standing"
My brother called me today
Aforementioned brother, referred a friend to me for hair services
The New Adventures of Old Christine sitcom
My homemade salsa
A post it note next to the computer with my DH's writing . . . the mass times for Saturdays at the local churches - no more constantly asking each other what time mass starts
Roses
Coming to acceptance of who I am and who I am not
The diaper study is ohhhhhhhver
Tuning into my daughter while she plays and discovers
. . .

Photographer, I am not. . .
This second Mother's Day  DH and O woke me up (before 7:00 am, let me just throw that in), serenading me with a traditional song in Spanish for mananitas. The teeny maraca player gave up and just jumped on the bed, but DH sang beautifully. For the curious . . .the "D" in DH means Dear, not Damn. (lol)

Starbucks and a yummy new breakfast dish filled our bellies - recipe here - Caramel Banana French Toast Bake.

(one of my bff's these days)

A dozen roses' aroma fill the living room along with a beautiful card and gift. I had seen the framed artwork at Kirkland's Home store. It was instant love. DH brought it home for me. Rearranging the picture wall was fun. Sort of. 

(roses are one of my favorite flowers)

(Even had a 15% off coupon for this beauty!)

My favorite restaurant these days is Picazzo's because they have a fabulous gluten free menu and the food actually tastes like food. Moms ate for free that day. Thank you!

Challenged.

Drained.

Focused.

It has never been said, relationships/parenthood/growth experiences are easy. Trying to keep mindful of the higher purpose in these things, the reality of them today, and the gift they are meant to be. 

I am blessed by God hugely in things, even when they are a struggle. Often times it is my perception that needs to be changed and then I can see the blessing. Sometimes it is He allowing me to struggle - so that I can realize - I need to let go - and let Him. Someday this will all make sense?

One Talented Kid & Lists

Ok, so perhaps this isn't "talent". But it sure kept us entertained for some time this afternoon! She ended up biting the bowl and tilting her head back a little and the bowl stayed over her eyes. She thought it was wonderful. I soaked in her creativity. We both giggled and giggled.







Things I feel I am constantly looking for:
the good bottle (it's my favorite bottle of O's but disappears frequently)
my phone
one of the three pacifiers
for dinner to magically appear already made in my refrigerator
sanity?!
more time
the teeny eyebrow brush that has broken off the stick it came on
the large green popcorn bowl


Things I am grateful for today:
time with friends
seeing my friend's kids take great care of O when we spend time together
coupons coming in the mail to me
Fry's mailers with recipes and coupons
my hardworking husband
the miracle that is my daughter
rice chex, they are gluten free
that the grill had propane so I could prepare dinner
my salon appointment book being so full
that I know I am one amazing woman
to be able to move beyond resentment
quiet
that my parents are safe on their road adventure to see the other 9 grandkids
great news on some medical tests for me
other people sharing their experiences - reminds me I am not so unique


Things that I find irritating:
styrofoam being touched, can't stand the sound of it - makes my teeth itch
my teeth itching
non accidental mispelings  misspellings
red light cameras - too much anxiety comes as I go through the intersections, even with a green light!
O screaming at a super high pitch while she is pointing to something she wants
men who don't hold open doors for women
forgetting to get the coffee maker ready for the next morning
not having coffee ready when I wake up in the morning
expectations

Things that make me chuckle:
O walking around with a tissue at her nose, pretending to blow - 'cept she is blowing out of her mouth
seeing people belting out song lyrics while driving alone - I love it!
people's accents
hearing new words each day from the daughter that never ceases to amaze me
that our 80lb pit bull thinks he is still 4 months old
some of the thoughts in my head
hearing people laugh
O's devout love of the holy water fonts at church
the conversations O has with herself as she sees herself in the mirror - the smiles she gives are priceless

Muy Caliente . . . Tomato, Tomahhto

Translation - "very hot". 

Nope I am not tooting my own horn, I just bit into something freakin hot in the salsa I made today. Yikes. Good thing I have a cold, frosty gf beer to cool off my throat! Definitely not the same as non-gf beer, but it will do the trick tonight. 

Tomato, Tomahhto. My daughter looked like one last night. Poor thing - huge allergic reaction. Tears, scratching, more tears (from momma), and finally Benadryl. A call into the allergist/immunologist today secured an appointment later this week. Really not satisfied with the two answers I have gotten from our pediatrician. He's great otherwise, but momma's intuition trumps his lackadaisical attitude on food allergies. I have enough experience with these for a few people! Seriously though, we think it is tomatoes causing this reaction. 

So, it's been a while. Yep for a few things . . . but since I blogged last. I am crazy busy but in an almost good sort of way. I am one amazing woman. You are also an amazing woman/man. Each setting out to do our best - not our worst. I am amazed by individuals, even myself. I am busier now with work than I have been in a long time. Guess that stepping out in faith really paid off. I don't guess. I know! I also know who my "Father" is and He sure loves me! 

Got a letter in the mail the other day. A certified one. Felt anxious for a bit then it subsided. Finally had the letter in my hands - only good thing about it was a final paycheck. The other part was an actual letter. Didn't read it, didn't need too. I am at such peace - didn't need to have that disturbed, had a good idea what it entailed. Ended up ceremoniously conversing with God about it and then setting flame to it. I am not a pyro. Just felt like it/it's situation deserved some sort of ceremony of letting go. Letting go of any and all negativity in that letter/situation, not carrying anything from them but the good I keep in my heart. My side of the street is clean, as "they" say and I am happy. I love being known as "my girl" to my clients - I am blessed to love my career and the clients who fill my time slots!

My brutha. He is turning mid-fourties this week. I say mid-fourties because I can't remember for the life of me exactly how old he is turning. I can't even remember silly details of unimportant or even important things!  Baby took brain cells - I still love her though. I see so much in him. I love so much about him. I pray a lot for him deep in my heart. Will you too? He is so talented - such skill in his job, a lot of love to give - just a little trapped for now. He has taught himself how to weld and do carpentry. He has made some amazing things. He cares so much for his crew at work and for those who are close to him. He has accomplished a lot, saved lives, risked his own life, and lived a life of generosity. Lord, please in your mercy protect your son. 

Happy Birthday Steven Robert Lamy!

Those cheeks. Need more be said?

We went to a park in downtown Gilbert recently. Apparently we picked the day the water wasn't on, so the splashpad was not working. O was rockin the swim outfit none the less. She discovered hills and what running down them was like. I think she also discovered that the taste of grass and dirt is not pleasant. This being done while she tripped over her own feet going down the hill and landing flat on her face. Giggling.

There was such a great breeze that day and it was all the more plentiful as she came flying down the hill! She get's more beautiful each day, hard to believe but such a blessing. 

I love potatoes. Chips, hash browns, home fries, french fries, Au gratin, twice baked, once baked . . . you name it, I love them (cooked). Apparently so does my daughter. She has discovered where I keep them in a bottom cupboard. I have baking potatoes and these adorable little heirloom fingering potatoes. She has been taking them out each day and talking Oh so sweetly to them. I caught her red-handed today. . . eating a raw one while hiding in the living room. That is just sick and wrong. 

I am missing a few things. 

My memory, for one. Feel a little handicapped about it. 

My mom. Her and dad leave for another adventure of roadtripping to visit the sisters in CO and NE. 

My pre-pregnancy jeans. A lot!

My sisters.

My cat Peanut.

Downtime.

Sleep.

O just snuggling with me when she was a newborn.

Those first few moments of her life in the hospital as I tried to get my head around what miracle just took place. 

Holding my husband's hand.

Having time to shave my legs on a regular basis.

Dot to Dots, Dirty Diapers & Decisions

I was locked in some twisted version of a dot to dot experience today. Only, the dots did not connect to reveal a cool image. Rather, the image of a stressed out/tired/over caffeinated/mom with little to no memory skills. I am lucky to have returned home in one piece. Nothing went on my time schedule today, plans were thrown under the bus, and I feel as if I drove to freakin Maine and back in all of about 7 hours.

Thank my Guardian Angel who guided me back home after church and an appointment today. O needed a nap and I needed some nourishment, so we came home. Good thing we did. I forgot it was # 1 of the diaper study drop offs today. Frantically I filled in the bubbles (times are approximate as I hadn't filled the sheets in yet and it is day 4) I checked which diapers had pooh in them so I could accordingly mark that on the sheet (at least that part will be truthful). 2 diapers missing. CRAP! No punn intended. They were found, again with help from my guardian angel. One hadn't been used yet that should have been. It somehow made it outside the synchronized schedule of rotating diapers. Oh well, tore the fastener off and marked that I couldn't use it due to the fastener being "broken". Sounded good to me. As the worker lady checked my paperwork and bagged my smelly bag 'o diapers, I only got gently scolded for one teeny tiny mistake on my bubbling. Dangit. After how many years of teaching and standardized testing I made a bubble mistake. Coulda been worse.

Onto the beauty supply store. Oh, how I wish I could really buy more beauty there. Beauty that radiates from the soul inside. In actuality I had to return a pump I bought for my gigantic shampoo bottle at the salon. 2 pumps came with the s&c, but one pump was too small. Drove 30  minutes just to return a pump. After the last week of not having a fitting pump, that drive was worth it today.

I taught computers for a few years. Have always enjoyed dabbling in/on them, creating with them, etc. I can type wicked fast. Why is it then that this new device we bought last week could be upsetting my entire life so much? A tablet. Needed to use the "square" for processing credit. Supposed to be easy, everyone says. If you have the magic "i" devices of course. Mine is not, but said to be compatible, it is an ANDROID. That in itself sounds like a low budget movie about dead things gone wrong.Well, I am about ready to throw it into the river. There is no river close to my house. Another road trip today perhaps? Possibly.

About 6 hours have lapsed since I wrote the above excerpt. I still feel stressed out, tired and over caffeinated. Memory is slightly improved. 

The amazing chair! It's super comfy.

In these 6 hours I have shopped for an amazing chair for the salon studio (thank you Kirkland Home!), made a delicious dinner of gf oven fried chicken, zucchini, and gf spinach & cheese ravioli covered in a light maranara sauce. Garlic rolls would have topped the meal off, but you're dreaming if you think I could've gotten that accomplished in this cra.zy day! 


And, the piece de resistance . . . insert drum roll here . . . 
I decided to get an ipod touch. Screw the tablet 
and the Android it runs on. 
I have not been this stressed out in quite some time. 
It's not worth it. 
I want to throw it in the river. 
Maybe we will trade it for aguitar for my DH on Craig's list. 


I went to Big Lots tonight. Sometimes that is an escape for me. Generally it is filled with big lots of crapola, but sometimes I find some really unique things. I wished I'd have had my coupon notebook (yep, I have one) with me, I had some coupons for some items they had and they would have been SCREAMIN deals. Worth going back for. Note to self, check to make sure Big Lots accepts coupons. 


As I sit now, in a quiet house - filled only with "stuff" and the hum of an elderly hard drive and an air purifier . . . I notice there is an avocado perched next to me. In the living room. O was at it again. She tends to put her personal touch on our home by rearranging things. A lot of things. I also notice the tablet. I can't bear to look at it. There is a bottole of RedBridge - a tasty gf beer. There may or may not have been a few gf cinnoman/cinneman/cinnamon rolls on the plate next to me as well - I can't say for sure. My tummy feels real good though. 


My head is spinning a bit. Long a** day. I am grateful for mass this morning. We sit with the most adorable family (next to us of course). 3 kiddos and an incredibly beautiful momma. S, the youngest just loves to love on O. Sometimes bear hugging her to the ground. Tears are involved. She ends up in time out and O doesn't know what hit her. It's sort of cute. S also has the most glorious blond ringlets. I just want to run my fingers through them the entire mass. I think God would understand, he made that gorgeous hair in the first place! During mass, my little monkey just needed to run and squawk so we hung out in the back of the church for a while. She kept wanting to blow out the prayer candles, while saying "hot". Cute innocence.


After mass, they had an informal anointing of the sick. Beautiful sacrament. Came with some scolding today though. Fr. Sergio or was it Fr. Juan. I still can't tell who is who. Anyway - he sternly said that to repeat this sacrament over and over is inappropriate and that it must be a serious/grave disease to receive it. I felt the nudge to go so I went. O did great and I felt the power. Anxiously awaiting one more test result.  

Geesh, I had a lot to write today. Whoops! Been in my head to much lately with being so busy.

"God, it would be ok with me if I woke up tomorrow and my muffin top was gone. Really, I wouldn't mind if you took it. Just please don't move it somewhere else. I already have too much junk in the trunk, if you know what I mean!" Momma got back!