Giraffes

I’ve started the quilt that I’m doing for my nursery. I want to do African Safari, but haven’t totally made my decision. I still will do this quilt, I’m just not sure what border I’m going to do on it. So it may stay unfinished until I get pregnant and we know what we’re having! But that is another issue then, because I’m not sure if I want to know the sex with the next pregnancy either!

Sorrow VS. Happy

I really have to comment on happiness vs. unhappiness today. I am very happy today. I have much to be happy about. I have a wonderful house with two very happy dogs that bring me much joy, I have a husband that knows me and gives me what I need whether or not I want it! I have projects that I can't wait to get started and projects I can't wait to finish!

But I also have people in my life that don't have things that bring them joy. In fact, the things that are dominating their lives right now are DOWN RIGHT TERRIBLE. Every time I think of what is going on in their lives I think "wow. that sucks." My best friend's brother will probably die tonight. And I have known their family for 25 years. He is one of the best people I have ever known and he's being taken from us. Cancer. Not easily treatable. He is 32. He married 3 months ago. In my opinion he's had so may experiences taken from him. I know he's enjoyed many happy moments and experienced them more than others and the losses he's experienced are much more than you or I could ever claim to experience. But he has maintained the most positive attitude I have ever seen. And his new wife... It's like she's happy to have just had him for the short time she has! Which knowing Jess, I know she is! But WOW! They are both people to admire. Through all adversity and strife- the worst kind- you would never know that they are having a hard time. Not that they aren't, just that they are both able to take the good things from their experiences and CELEBRATE EVERYTHING. If today sucks, that will just make tomorrow better! So- What the hay- may as well smile through what makes you cry!

We are going to miss you Brenan!

Aprons!!

I just wanted to put pictures of a few of the aprons I’ve made over the past 6 months. Of course I forgot to take a picture of the quilt I made w/ my camera… Oh well…

Here’s Brandy’s

Here’s Elisa’s

Here’s Ashsuire’s

And I forgot to get a picture of my mom’s but it looks just as good as these three! And I'm sure I'll make more- they're fun! :)

Oatman AZ

Well, I guess it’s been a while… I’m not very good at keeping up with this very regular! Right now, I have a cold (again! Unless it’s swine flu…) and I’m really sleepy! But I have a fun weekend to tell you about!

On Saturday Aaron and I went to Oatman AZ. It’s a very small living “ghost town” that was established due to the gold in the area. There are a few gold mines around Oatman- none that are still being mined. We heard about the town on a show called Gold Fever- about prospectors… another one of Aaron’s favorite shows… lol. The town is now famous for the herd of wild burros that hang around. Most of the time the wild burros come in to town in the morning and then leave again in the evening. Tourists and the people that live there feed them. So Aaron and I were so excited to go to Oatman!

Another bonus to going there is it’s located on Historic Route 66! We’d never been on it so we were glad we got to cross more than one thing of the list!

And the scenery was beautiful! I love AZ!

But as we climbed the mountain to get to Oatman (it’s in a valley between two mountains) all we kept seeing was people on Harleys. Now- I have nothing against people that like to travel on bikes. They are really nice most of the time. But when you are expecting a nice quiet day in a small town and you come around the bend to “Bike Week” in Oatman… Well, let’s just say we were very disappointed! Only three of the burros were in town- and normally there are about 15… they didn’t like the noise either! Lol

But we still had fun-

And we still got to feed the few that were in town… except for the babies- they can’t have carrots. They’ll choke on them!

So Oatman was ok. We decided that we’ll go back when we can stay at the historic hotel for the night- the drive was 4 ½ hours… and check next time to make sure it’s not bike week and there won’t be 5,000 Harleys in town!

Fun Visitors

A few weeks ago my parents got two more dogs. Doxies! My favorite! She was wanting to wait until after the cruise they were going on to get them, but she rescued them from the same lady we got Butter from and needed to bring them home before they left. So, now they are on their cruise- hopefully having fun- and now we have two more Doxies in our house until they return. We have Zoe- the Queen, Butter- the Joker, Lacy- the Trouble Maker (she's the black and white one 2 yrs old), and Otis- the Destroyer- or wood chipper to be more acurate (he's the red dapple 1 yrs old) . I am fully enjoying having them all in our house. They bring so much joy and laughter- I’m not sure if I’m going to give them back! (My mom is cruising right now- so I can’t even threaten her with this!) Lacy and Otis are very close and snuggle on the couch together all the time. It’s taken Butter a few days to get to the point where she can play with the other two, but Zoe is still very upset that we have friends staying at our house. She cracks me up because she’ll just sit on the couch and watch the other three and I can just see her thinking “Oh my!” But they’ll go home soon, I’m not really sure when… but now we’ll have special bonds with them for when we go to my parents’ house!

AND bowling for my 30th b-day tomorrow! I’m very excited!

Always Blessings, Never Losses

9 months ago I lost my son. I don’t always think about it on the 25th. Some months the day will go by and I’ll think- wow. It didn’t bother me yesterday. But this morning someone said “it’s the 25th” and it just made me think of Wyatt. I wonder when it won’t bother me anymore. I wonder if having another child will take away the hurt. And then I think what if it doesn’t. I can live with it- it’s not as sharp as it was before, but it still bothers me. I miss him. It’s really crazy how much you can miss someone you never even knew. I’ll never get to see him run down the hallway, eat his first Cheerio, meet his true love, has his heart broken, graduate high school. A smile of true pleasure will never cross his face. And he’ll never cry from a scraped knee. But I will always treasure the time we did have with him. I just wish we’d had more.

Lots happening..

Wow. I can’t believe that I haven’t posted in almost a month! So much has happened and so here it goes…

I went to Oregon- it was great. I am very glad I got to see my friend at the end of her pregnancy! Her baby shower was beautiful! (I really should have taken the pictures off my camera to show!) Everyone that came- and even the loved ones that didn’t- were very generous and she opened gifts for over two hours!! Then the next couple days while I was there her Mom and I just helped get everything ready for the baby- And then, of course, the Saturday after I returned, I got a text that Erin was in labor- 3 weeks early! Ella Sophia Ralston was born on March 7. She was 6lbs 21 inches. The first week for them was tough- they left the hospital and then were readmitted then next day. But Ella is doing well now and everyone is home and happy- Hopefully no more return stays at the hospital will be needed.

When I was in Oregon, my husband told me that there’s a half marathon in Eugene in May- I am going back in May to visit again (gotta get my hands on that little one!) so we made arrangements for him to come too! I am very excited I’m going to have him there with me. He won’t be there the entire time I’m there- but it won’t be so bad to be away from home because he’ll be there with me some of the time! I just hope he’s more ready for this half marathon…

The same weekend Ella was on the way- my best friend’s brother got married. They planned their wedding in four days and you would have never know. Brenan’s cancer returned, the bone marrow transplant he had in October wasn’t successful. The level of happiness Brenan and Jess share absolutely floors me, especially in light of all of the hardships they have been through in the past year. It seems like they get good news, and then a month later, the news leaves much to be desired. But the way they have continued to be positive and let love rule their lives is amazing! They are wonderful people and I know they will get through this and all they have been through will just make their lives more full.

Work has been interesting. Stressful for a while- and now… not stressful enough. I operate well under a little bit of stress, not too much, then I shut down. But when there is no stress at all- I get lazy and unmotivated. But then- I’m ok with it right now because stress caused me to miss my period. Not good… I’ll take lazy and unmotivated over over-stressed any day! (I’m sure the baby shower and birth of a friend’s baby didn’t help my emotional status either! I hate baby showers… hopefully it won’t always be that way- but it is now!!)

My craft projects have been plugging along. The quilt for Ella was awesome. I was almost sad for it to be done though… Oh well. Just means I have to start another one… But I have 3 aprons to make in the next month. One for my Mom (for her b-day… very late b-day gift. Her birthday is in December…), one for Elisa (for her b-day… also late. Her b-day is in February), and the third for my sister in law (this one will be on time for her b-day in April). After all the aprons are done I have a project picked out. More about that later…

Also, our nephew’s birthday was the end of February. Aaron was so excited to give Aidan his gift, he got it two weeks early! We got him a bow and arrow set, I know big surprise. The arrows are kid friendly- and Aidan loves it! Aaron is looking forward to taking Aidan hunting when he gets older!

We also had to put my cat of 10yrs down. Sylvester had been getting sicker and sicker over the last few months and I just felt it was time. I miss having him around the house, but know that he’s happy in cat heaven. Still hate thinking of it…

This last weekend I made cookies with Devin. It was very nice to hang out with her for a while. I miss having her at work though. But I’m glad she has a job that she likes. Then, after I got home all the plans I had previously made for my weekend fell apart. Pretty much ended up cleaning, running errands, and relaxing. We were going to go out to breakfast, go to a baseball game and other stuff- but it just didn’t work out… J Oh well. Spending time with Aaron is always an adventure and I never know what will happen!! Lol

Hopefully I’ll get motivated enough to post again in less than a month…