Happy Birthday Mom

Deaaaar Mother, I just wanted everyone to know how much of an amazing lady you are. You're not only someone I call Mom, but also a Best Friend and I know not many girls can say that. You are such a big inspiration to me and I hope I can be as good of a mother and example to my children someday. I hope you have a wonderful day and that you will take it easy because you need it.
Love, Your Daughter

My Baby

My baby is 20 today. He is growing into such an AWESOME man...I can't even adequately express how proud of him I am. From day one this kid has been amazing.
I'm not going to tell you that it was always smooth sailing for the two of us. We used to but heads frequently. But over the years we have figured out how to get along and now he is one of my best friends.
He is funny and smart, sweet and kind, compassionate and giving. He is my heart.
Happy birthday little man. Your Mama loves you and is so proud that you are telling the members in Texas what a big ol' Mama's boy you are!! Keep up the good work and I'll see you in just about a year!!

The Magic Shirt

I think I have stumbled upon something truly magical. Let me just say that I hope this doesn't sound boastful. That is not my intention at all. I am simply amazed at the power there is in a simple shirt. Some may say they were just being nice...well...I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's go back a bit. See, I bought this shirt at Eddie Bauer in Fargo. It's really just a fancy t-shirt. It has a v-neck with cute ruffles half way down the front...kinda like a tuxedo shirt. It's a lovely dusty shade of purple...truth be told....it really doesn't do much for my skin tone....but I love the color so I wear it. For me, it is low cut. If you see me at all, you probably have noticed that I NEVER wear anything low cut. EVER. A-I don't want to put too much of myself out there. I hate tugging at my clothes, readjusting just isn't my thing. B-I used to be such a big flirt. Now I am a mess of social anxiety that comes out at the WEIRDEST times. Sometimes I can control it....sometimes not so much. So attracting attention from the opposite sex is something I tend to avoid. So, back to the shirt. It isn't overly-revealing but it is more so that any other t-shirt in my closet. I never noticed it's magical properties until one day.....while walking down the middle of Lowe's (love that store) My Girl and I were called to by an employee, the guy in charge of the lighting department. He was middle-aged (like me!) balding (so he was sporting the Mr. Clean look) and not a total troll. He made a comment about My Girl's hat she was wearing and then came over to talk to us. Weird...OK....I didn't make a total fool of myself responding to his banter and then we continued on our way. I had picked up a new light fixture for my laundry room and was SO completely jazzed because it was clearance priced. When we got to the check out My Girl and I were talking and I wasn't paying attention like I should have been and the total seemed a bit high. I got to the car and looked at my receipt and saw that the light had rung up at full price. BUMMER!! I hauled it back into the store and was told by the lady that I would have to go back to the lighting dept. and talk to Dale....a.k.a. Mr. Clean. So I got back there and he was standing by the light I had chosen and we looked at the stickers.....my light was not on sale. It was for the one under it. But...he decided that we could split the difference and he knocked $30 off the price for me. SCORE....not the clearance price but hey....who's complaining. I did manage to keep my foot out of my mouth for the next 10 minutes while he arranged the transaction with the customer care lady up front and I was on my way. My Girl teased me about it the whole rest of the day. We laughed and I assumed it was a fluke. Fast forward to the next time I wore the Magic Shirt. I went to the UPS Store to mail a package to my baby, the missionary (it's his birthday on Friday). It was my last stop for the day and just before heading there I had picked up a massive BBQ grill that we had assembled for Hubby. Because of liability issues they don't tie them in for you at The Wal-Mart. I was very nervous and sure of a tragic parting of the ways for this grill and I. I decided after mailing the package I would look for some bungee cords in Hubby truck (he's always got those....right) to fasten it down a bit. I walk into the UPS Store and was greeted by a very friendly (again) middle aged....he thought I needed to know he had just turned 40....man. He had a raspy, smokers voice and a few tattoos that looked to be from his younger days. He flirted with me openly and I tried very hard not to become uber-weirdo and totally freak him out. He asked if I was going to the concert (some 80's rocker guy...don't remember now) and I told him WE (assuming he would see the ring on my finger and put 2 and 2 together) were new in town and hadn't bought tickets. He asked me if I'd like to go anyway and I very politely (while panicking on the inside) told him WE were busy unpacking. He was still very (overly) nice and we finished the transaction and I went to tackle the behemoth grill waiting to be taken home. I did manage to find one bungee cord and was trying to find a way to use it when UPS guy poked his head up over the side of the truck and offered to get a cord from his truck to help me out. Um...OK...He came back a few seconds later with a length of rope (leaving his store unattended with customers inside) and tied the grill down and then showed me how to untie it when I got home. Not going to lie and tell you that I wasn't getting precariously close to falling off the ledge into weird....but I was able to hold it together long enough to tell him thanks and that would see him next time. GULP! I'm not sure what amazes me the most about this shirt. The fact that these men were helpful (and flirting with me...the troll) or that I was able to not come off sounding like the world's biggest idiot. My face didn't stay a lovely shade of beet red and I was able to skillfully (I use that word loosely) banter with them like I did back in the old days. It could be some of the new found confidence that keeps creeping in ever since my race...or it could just be the shirt. I'm going to wear it next week and see what happens!

A New Table

Here is what I started with.....a beautiful forest green coffee table....FREE!
Well, actually, I traded an old rickety bbq grill for it. It was scratched and dented and dirty....and practically perfect. I was SO excited when I saw it...it was exactly what I've been looking for. In my old house the beautiful wood tables that had been in my living room were now going downstairs with the new jumbo-tron. I was in need of a table...and short on cash.I sanded the top and a little on the legs. I was also trying to get moved....so maybe this was a bad time to start a paint project. It turned into a beautiful way to avoid reality....it's just how I roll.
I picked out a nice white paint with some gray under-tones. I also picked up some black glaze.After I got to Nebraska I put another coat of paint on it and let it dry. Then I sanded the edges and some on the legs. After that I wiped it all down to remove the dust from the sanding....twice. Then....my favorite part.((Sorry about the lack of pics....I was just so excited!)) I got out the glaze and wiped it on with a foam brush, let it sit for a minute and took a rag to it and removed as much as I wanted. I did learn a bit for my next project.... 1-Always do top to bottom in one swipe. It makes the glaze look more continuous and less blotchy. 2- Let. It. Dry. Don't get too eager to put the poly-crylic on the top or you will get glaze all over the place....just sayin'......
I used a non-yellowing poly-crylic to protect it from the inevitable dings of daily living. It gave the table a glossy (I used the satin finish and it is way shiny) top coat. This project took a long time and it is exactly (almost) how I pictured it looking. Now my magazines and coasters will have a comfy place to rest. I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday and Thrifty Treasures. I encourage you to check out the projects linked up there. You never know when inspiration will strike!

Reconnected

I am finally back in the land of the connected. For more than a week I have been using my son's old laptop with the short bus key board and an air card that my hubby uses for work. While I have been thankful for the little bit of access they have allowed us....I MISSED having a real computer and a real internet connection. That being said, I have a lot to catch you up on. We'll have to start slow as I am still unpacking boxes and I can't spend every waking minute with my new toys. Here is what my back yard looked like this morning. The line of thunderstorms was very defined. It got really windy and dark, very fast!
It was crazy cool to watch the clouds swirling around. They were moving so fast and just rolling all over the place. It was freaky, really.
This is what my living room looked like on Friday and most of Saturday. It is better now...but my whole house looked like this. It took 3 full days of the 3 of us working until we were really cranky with each other before it was even a little closer to acceptable.
My new craft room is the last to be unpacked. I am getting a little antsy to get started on it. I told myself that I would wait until everything else was put together first. I tend to get a little obsessive....but you knew that.
So for now....rest assured that I am back and I will be posting a project I've been working on and some shots of my house all prettied up very soon!!

Just a Quick Note

Here is what my life looks like today. A maze of boxes has sprouted up over night. It is thrilling and saddening. So for the next little bit I will be trying to find my sanity amid the chaos....I'm sure I left it here somewhere!
These are some new friends of mine that I will miss. Elder Tippetts and Elder Wolfinden. Either one of them could marry my daughter (in about 6 years!). They are awesome examples of successful missionaries. They came to my house and did some yard work and let my sweet girl see that there really are (cute) great guys out there that would be cool to hang with for eternity.
Then there is my favorite missionary. He loved the snow that fell in Texas this winter. Having survived a few winters in Minnesota he was trying to tell everyone that it wasn't really that cold. He is loving missionary life and is learning so much!
So, that is about all I am up to at the moment. I will be posting a project I am working on when I get to Nebraska and get it finished. Until then....peace out!

Great Expectations

I have recently uncovered something I need to work on. Something that has really been holding me back. Let's see if this sounds familiar to you...(and if it doesn't, don't worry...you can still be my friend)...My birthday is coming up. In my head it looks like this; a thin me smiling and enjoying breakfast in bed that my hubby and kids brought up for me (it looks to be straight out of a magazine in it's presentation), all of my family and friends stopping by throughout the day to celebrate me being born, a glittery party, topped off by a lavish gift from my hubby. Has this ever become a reality? No....does the practical side of me really expect this? No. But is there some small corner of my heart that hopes for it every year AND IS DISAPPOINTED WHEN IT DOESN'T HAPPEN? Yes. Valentines Day (before it became "My Mom went to Heaven" day) same thing...In my head there would be flowers and a mushy card and maybe a poem written about me. Does it happen...ever....no. Will it ever happen...NO. Do I still wait for it every year? yes. After I ran in the Fargo 5K I had similar expectations. I honestly had no frame of reference so I will admit to letting my expectations go a little crazy. When I dared to let myself picture the finish line (because, lets face it...mostly I was sure I wouldn't even finish) I was SPRINTING across it. I had energy to smile and wave. I looked (and smelled) fresh and not red-faced. I was wearing a tiara (that happens a lot in my mind) and I had this huge feeling of accomplishment. The reality of it was a little more subdued. I could barely lift my feet to cross the finish line, my face was red (and HOT), I was sweaty and I smelled bad, there was no tiara on my head and I felt only the relief of being finished. Did that stupid fantasy of how it was "supposed to be" interfere with my feeling good about the reality of it. Yes, I think it did. It took a couple of days of some serious soul-searching to figure this out. I knew I should be so over-the-moon-happy about being able to say "I RAN A 5K"...instead I was just happy. After this epiphany I was able to readjust my expectations and indeed feel that rush of pride. A little late for the emotional finish that I expected...but definitely in time to help me see how destructive this has been in many areas of my life. I have tried to plan out every second of every major (and some minor) event in my life and when it doesn't go exactly as I saw it in my head...then it is all crap and I am sad on days that should have been some of the happiest. My birthday really is coming up (I used to say that to my Mom in jest to justify a purchase....) and instead of picturing this grand hullabuloo, I will be content to wake up. That's it. If God gives me another day to try again...to do my best...then I will be satisfied and it will be the best birthday ever. Why am I telling you all of this? Because you are my friends and I don't want my friends to be unhappy. I want you all to figure all of this out...before your 38th birthday...or your 60th birthday or your 85th birthday. I have wasted a lot of time trying to achieve perfection in a world where none exists. Talk about setting myself up for failure. Sheesh! From here on out my expectations will be simplified. I will look for the small things that make me happy and be content to find joy there. I'm pretty sure my family will appreciate being let off the hook. Now...if I could only find where I put my tiara...